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Famous Composers and
their Works

Edited by

John Knowles Paine
Theodore Thomas and Karl Klauser

Illustrated

Boston
J. B. Millet Company

HU

F 1'

V w

. --

f • ■-•

628S5Q

Copyright, 1891, by

J. B. Millet Company.

» •«

• • <

• • •

• •

i«*

'••

••

.••

• •

ft*
• • -

• •

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

■hi tntnuiliig by L. Slchllng. afltr on o/l

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

^ the river I>eitha, in Lower
Austria, and some fifteen miles
south-east from Vienna, is a village
so insignificant that it is not set
down on the ordinary maps. It is
called Rohrau, and there, during the night of March
3i< 173*1 and descended from a long line ofhumble
hand-toilers, was bom Fran* Joseph Haydn, who
was destined to make the family name immortal.
His father, Mathias Haydn, was a master wheel-
wright, whose father, Thomas Haydn, had followed
the same occupation. The mother of Franz, or
Joseph, as he is now called, was Maria Koller,
daughter of the market inspector of the locality,
and a cook in the household of Count Harrach, the
lord of the village. The ancestry of the Haydns
is undistinguished as far back as it can be traced.
This union of the wheelwright and the cook resulted
in a family of twelve children, of whom three de-
veloped into musicians. They were Franz Joseph,
the subject of this sketch, Johann Michael, the
church composer, and Johann Evangelist, a singer
of no special excellence. There is no record of
musical talent on the side of either the Haydns or
the Rollers previous to its appearance in the family
of Mathias, and its sudden development in three of
the offspring of this marriage is inexplicable.

In addition to his occupation as a wheelwright,
Mathias Haydn officiated as sexton of his parish.
Both he and his wife were able to sing sufficiently
well to increase their scant earnings by singing in
church on Sundays and holidays, ^nd at fairs and
festivals. They also indulged in music at home,
after a nide fashion, the father accotppanying the
voices on the harp, which he had learned to play by
ear. The parents of the future composer were
hard-working people who feared God, and so
thoroughly did they instill their religious feelings in-
to their children, that Haydn felt the influence of
this early discipline all through his long life. Of his

earliest years but little is known except that, while
yet a tender child, he began to manifest the musical
instinct that was in him by singing the simple tunes
that his father was able to strum on the harp, and
by exciting wonder at the correctness of his ear
and his keen sense of rhythm. These gifts, how-
ever, are by no means rare in children, and the
possession of them does not necessarily insure that
their possessors shall develop into Haydns and
Mozarts.

One day a cousin, a certain Johann Mathias
Frankh, who lived in Hainburg, paid the Haydns a
visit, and his attention was called to young Joseph's
precocious musical talent. Frankh was a school-
master and a good musician, and in Hainburg he
filled the offices of Chorregent and Schulrector.
Struck by the talents of the boy, he proposed to
take upon himself his education, musical and other-
wise. The father eagerly accepted the offer, but
the mother hesitated, for it was her ambition that
the youngster should become a priest. Her objec-
tions, however, were overcome, and the result was
that Haydn, when six years of age, left his home
never to return to it again as an inmate. Frankh
took him to Hainburg, instructed him in reading
and writing and in the rudiments of latin. He
also grounded him in the elements of music, taught
him to sing, and to play the violin. The boy was an
apt and zealous pupil, studied with unremitting in-
dustry and progressed rapidly.

Frankh was not a lenient teacher, nor was he
very conscientious in his duties at the head of his
school. He was addicted to gambling, and his
honesty was not above suspicion, for he was dis-
charged from his position for cheating with loaded
dice, though later he was reinstated. In common
with the pedagogues of his time he was firm in the
faith that what could not be learned easily could be
beaten into a pupil ; consequently blows were not
lacking when the child proved dull of understanding.

246

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

and a lesson hesitatingly recited was followed by a
vigorous thrashing, after which the boy was sent to
bed without his dinner. This severity, however, was
not unkindly meant, for the pedagogue was equally
fond and proud of his young charge, and the harsh-
ness was not without its good results, as may be in-
ferred from the fact, that many years afterwards,
Haydn spoke of his hard discipline, in which, ac-
cording to his own words, he was given " more beat-
ing than bread," with the warmest gratitude. Not
only this, but in his will, Haydn bequeathed to
Frankh*s daughter and her husband, one hundred
florins and a portrait of Frankh, " my first music
teacher."

This rough teaching, nevertheless, soon reached a
point beyond which it was useless to persevere in it,
for Frankh could flog no more knowledge of music
into the boy for the simple reason that he had im-
parted all that he possessed. Haydn was now
eight years old and had been studying two years
with Frankh, when, one day, George Reuter, direc-
tor of music at the Cathedral of St. Stephen, in
Vienna, visited Hainburg. He was on a tour having
for its object the procuring of boy voices for his
choir, and meeting with Frankh, that worthy grew
eloquent in the praise of his precocious pupil, and
eagerly solicited Reuter to hear the youngster
sing. The Capellmeister consented, and was as-
tonished at the proficiency of the boy and delighted
with the sweetness of his voice. The outcome of
the hearing was that Reuter offered to take Haydn as
one of the boy choir at St. Stephen's and to look
after his musical education ; and so, in 1740, Haydn
bade farewell to his hard, but well meaning master,
and went to Vienna. The parting was not without
tears on both sides, and Haydn was never forgetful
or unappreciative of the benefit he had received
from Frankh.

At St. Stephen's an entirely new life opened to
him. The school, an ancient foundation, consisted
of a Cantor, a Subcantor, two ushers and six
scholars. They dwelt under the same roof and ate
together. The city paid for the board, lodging and
clothing of the scholars, but not too liberally, and
the youngsters were never under the doctor's care
for over-eating and had no occasion to pride them-
selves on the quantity or the quality of the clothing
given them. Reading, writing, arithmetic and
Latin were among the studies taught in addition to
music. In the art to which his life was now devoted,

Haydn received instruction in singing and on the
violin and clavier. Harmony and composition were
also supposed to be taught by Reuter, but Haydn
could never recall more than two lessons in theory
imparted to him by the Capellmeister. The boy was
therefore thrown on his own resources, for he had no
money with which to pay for lessons from other
teachers. The music that he now heard opened a new
world to him and filled him with an unappeasable de-
sire to produce such music himself. He was soon
absorbed in every book on musical theory, to which
he had access, and he never put it aside before he had
completely mastered all that it had to tell him. In
the meanwhile his attire became shabbier and
shabbier ; his shoes were worn down at the heels,
and his appearance gradually merged into what he
long afterwards described as that of "a veritable
little ragamuffin." He wrote home for money to
renew his apparel, and when his father sent him six
florins for that purpose he bought Fux's " Gradus
ad Parnassum " and the ** Vollkommener Capell-
meister," by Mattheson. The former was his con-
stant companion, and he even placed it under his
pillow when he went to bed. When his companions
were at play he studied, and when they were over
noisy and disturbed him he would, as he said many
years later, "take my little clavier under my arm
and go away to practise in quiet." Music had be-
come his passion.

By and by he began to compose and was soon
occupied in filling with notes every sheet of music
paper that came within his reach ; the more notes
he was able to crow^d on a page the more he
was satisfied with himself, for he " thought it must
be right if the paper was sufficiently covered with
notes." The determination and industry of the lad
were extraordinary, and he very early began to illus-
trate that phase of genius which is a capacity for
hard work. One of his first compositions was a
" Salve Regina " for twelve voices. This was seen
by Reuter, who dryly suggested that it would per-
haps be better to write it for two voices at first, and
to learn how to write music properly before he be-
gan to compose it ; but he did not attempt to show
him how to do either. In fact, the boy had no
other resource than to rely on his own unaided
efforts to acquire the knowledge for which he so
eagerly yearned, and hence, after his parting with
Frankh he was wholly self-taught. Such was his
life until he became sixteen years old, when his

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

247

prospects, already dark enough, were to become
still more clouded, for his voice broke and he was
no longer useful as a boy soprano. Renter, who
had no special regard for the lad, resolved to take
advantage of the earliest opportunity that offered, to
dismiss him. Before this, however, Haydn's brother,
Michael, had been accepted as a member of the
choir, to the great delightof the former. His voice
was more powerful and of belter quality than was
Joseph's, which gave indications of breaking. In

fact, on one occasion the empress said that " Jos-
eph Haydn sang like a raven " and requested that
his brother might replace him. Michael was given
a solo to sing, and acquitted himself with so much
tenderness and sweetness that the empress sent for
him and gave him twenty-four ducats. Renter
complimented him on his good luck and the honor
that had been done him, and asked him what he
was going to do with so large a sum. Michael re-
plied : " I shall send half to my good father and

BIRTHPLACE OF JOSEPH i

keep the other halt until my voice breaks," a reso-
lution that Reuter approved warmly, and which he
offered to further by taking charge of the twelve
ducats. Michael gave them to him, but when his
voice broke at last, the ducats were not forthcoming,
and he never saw them again.

Presently Haydn's doom was sealed. One day,
in a spirit of mischief, he cut off the pigtail of a
fellow student and was sentenced by Reuter to be
whipped on the hand with a cane. Haydn pleaded,
wept, and remonstrated, but in vain ; and at last he

declared that he would sooner leave the cathedral
than suffer so humiliating and cruel an outrage,
Reuter cynically retorted that he had no objection
to the alternative, " but you shall be caned just the
same, and then you can pack off, bag and baggage
as soon as you see fit " ; and so Haydn was pun-
ished and then sent forth into the streets of Vienna
without a penny and with attire so worn and dirty
that he was ashamed to be seen. The world was
now before him and his outlook was dreary and dis-
couraging enough. He was friendless, without

248

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

prospects and did not know which way to turn to
make either. He could return to Rohrau, where he
was sure of a warm and tender welcome from his
parents, but he would not burden their scanty
means with his support, and besides, he had re-
solved to succeed by the talent that, from the first, he
" knew was in him." His life at the school had
inured him to privation and hunger, and if he could
only earn enough to keep soul and body together
he would be content. His departure from his late
home took place on a stormy November evening,
and he walked the streets all night hopelessly.
Sunrise found him still wandering and ready to faint
with hunger and fatigue. Utter despair had seized
on him when he chanced to meet with one Spangler,
a chorister at St. Michael's, whose acquaintance he
had made some time before. The singer found it
hard to win enough bread for himself and his wife
and child, but he took pity on the unfortunate boy
and offered him the shelter of the miserable attic
in which he lived with his family. Haydn gratefully
accepted the kindness, and dwelt with his benefactor
through the winter, suffering, with him, cold and
hunger. During this sad time, the boy's courage
faltered for the first time and his natural buoyancy
of spirits was dulled. He thought of finding some
less precarious means of earning enough to eat and
drink and to clothe himself than music presented,
and for a moment he turned his back on the art he
loved so well ; but it was only for a moment. His
instinct reasserted itself and once more he turned
resolutely toward music, and never again did he
falter in his determination to devote himself heart
and soul to it.

In his search for employment he was, now and
then, fortunate enough to be engaged to play the
violin at dances and merrymakings. Then he ob-
tained a few scholars who paid him the by no means
munificent sum of two florins per month. In the
meantime he studied incessantly, especially the six
clavier sonatas of Emmanuel Bach. With a rick-
ety harpsichord for his companion, he forgot his
misery and the scjualor of the garret in which he
lived. About this time he met a good angel, a
Vienna tradesman, by name, Buchholz, who becom-
ing interested in him, and sympathizing with the
miserable poverty in which he struggled so cheer-
fully, loaned him one hundred and fifty florins,
taking no acknowledgment therefor and making no
conditions for repayment. It may be mentioned

here that Haydn promptly returned the money when
fortune smiled on him, and that he did not forget
the kindness is evidenced by his first will, in which
he left '* Jungfrau Anna Buchholz one hundred
florins, in remembrance that in my youth and ex-
treme need, her grandfather made me a loan of
one hundred and fifty florins without interest which
I faithfully repaid fifty years ago." This money
was a godsend, for it enabled him to procure a room
of his own. The new apartment was not a great
improvement on that which he had quitted. It
was in the old " Michaelerhaus " ; and was also a
garret boarded off from a larger room. There was
scarcely any light and the space was hardly more
than would suffice for a fair-sized closet. The roof
was in a neglected state, and when the weather was
inclement the rain or snow would come through
and fall on the lodger's bed. However, Haydn
was happy and could study and practice without
interruption.

Curiously enough, his selection of this room had
a great influence on his future, for in the same
house lived Metastasio in a style befitting his posi-
tion. The poet was superintending the education
of his host's two daughters. He soon began to
take notice of the young man whom he frequently
met on the stairs, and charmed with his character,
sought his ac(iuaintance. Recognizing his talents
and wishing to serve him, he taught him Italian, and
after a time, entnisted to him the musical education
of one of the young girls, but now referred to. He
added still further to these services by introducing
him to Porpora, then the greatest of singing-teachers,
and one of the most eminent masters of composi-
tion. Before these friendships with Metastasio and
Porpora began, however, Haydn lived alone for a
year and a half, supporting himself by teaching for
whatever payment he could obtain; playing the
violin whenever he could earn even the smallest
pittance, and obtaining such other engagements
as would help him to buy food, and to pay for his
room.

Haydn gave his young pupil daily lessons on the
clavier, and for his ser\'ices he obtained free board
for some three years. This pupil took singing les-
sons from Porpora, and it was Haydn's good fortune
to be called to go with her to the master's house
to play her accompaniments. In order to win the
good will of the surly and cynical old master, Haydn
performed various menial offices for him, even

FRANZ JOSEPH HA YDN

»49

brushed his clothes and cleaned his shoes. The
result was that the young man received some valu-
able instruction in composition, from time to time,
together with much cursing and more insults. Por-
pora had among his pupils the mistress of the Ve-
netian Ambassador, to whom he took Haydn in the
office of accompanist. The Italian, not over gen-
erous with his own money, induced the Ambassador
to give Haydn a pen-
sion, and the conse-
quences were that
the struggling com-
poser was made rich-
er by fifty francs a
month, and was en-
abled to add to the
books he loved so
well and studied so
constantly.

Haydn was now
about twenty years
of age, had suffered
great privations and
had not been able to
rise much above the
position of a lackey ;
but he never relaxed
in his devotion to his
art. He submitted
to degradations, kicks
and curses because
it was not in his
power to resent them.
The wonder of it all
is that his misfortunes
and his humiliations
did not sour his tem-
per irremediably, and
that he should have
remained bouyant

and amiable to the end of his long life. His
existence in his attic was gloomy and poverty-
stricken, but in his old age he told Carpani that
he was never happier than he was in that bare and
lowly room with his worm-eaten clavier and his
books.

At this period he had composed his first Mass in
F. a work which, though crude and faulty, is re-
markable as the effort of a self-taught genius. By
this time, also, he had finished his first opera, " Der

JOSEPH HAYDN.

Neue Krumme 'leufel," for which he was paid
twenty-four ducats, but of which only the libretto is
extant. It was produced at the Stadttheatre in 1752,
and as it was also given in Prague, Berlin and other
cities, it would appear that it was successful. Judg-
ing by those operas by Haydn that have come down
to us, the disappearance of the score of his first
work in that class is not to be greatly lamented.
His muse was essen-
tially undramatic, yet
with that peculiar
blindness to the true
bent of his talents,
a blindness far from
uncommon among
men of genius, he en-
tertained a firm faith
that it was his mis-
sion to write operas.
Fortunately his op-
portunities to indulge
his idiosyncrasy were
not of a nature to
enable him to turn
from the path in
which he was to win
fame, although he
composed in addi-
tion to the opera
named, thirteen Ital-
ian and five Mario-
nette operas, of which
nothing has survived
or has deserved to
survive. Haydn was
destined to revolu-
tionize instrumental
music ; but the man
h.if ii).-ii». who was to revolu-

tionize the opera was
yet to come and was to lie called Mozart.

Among Haydn's other compositions at this period
were some clavier sonatas written by him for his
pupils. They were the fruits of his study of the
first six sonatas of C. Ph. Emanuel Bach, to which
he devoted himself untiringly. Haydn said, "I
played them constantly and did not rest until I had
mastered them all, and those who know my music
must also know that I owe very much to Emanuel
Bach." In fact Haydn prided himself greatly be-

^

250

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

cause he had been once complimented by Bach for
his knowledge of that composer's works. One of
these sonatas by Haydn had attracted the attention
of the Countess Thun, an enthusiastic amateur of
music, who expressed a desire to see him. He
called on her and surprised her by his youthful ap-
pearance and distressed her by the shabbiness of his
attire. The evil fortune that always kept him in
want during his early years was again accompanied
by the good fortune that at every crucial stage of
his youthful career brought him into contact with
influential friends who assisted him. The Countess
questioned him about himself. In response to her
inquiries he gave her a straightforward account of
his situation, on hearing which she presented him
with twenty- five ducats and engaged him to give her
lessons on the harpsichord and in singing. His
prospects brightened, and as pupils began to increase
in number he raised his charge for lessons from two
to fvyt florins ($2.50) — a month ! An additional
piece of good fortune came to him at this stage of
his prosperity in the acquaintance of Baron Flirn-
berg, a rich nobleman and an ardent and talented
amateur, to whose house Haydn was invited. Here
private concerts were given, and the young com-
poser heard frequent performances of string trios
and quartets, such as they were.

On the solicitation of Fiirnberg, Haydn com-
posed his first quartet, and seventeen other quar-
tets followed within a year. The Countess Thun
still remained a warm friend and used all her influ-
ence for his advancement. Fiirnberg, who appears
to have been very fond of him, was no less eager to
push his fortunes. Through these two supporters
he was introduced to Count Ferdinand Maximilian
Morzin, a Bohemian nobleman, immensely rich and
a great lover of music. He had an orchestra of
some eighteen performers, which, when necessity
demanded, was augmented by servants who were
musicians. Through the solicitations of Fiirnberg,
Morzin appointed Haydn his Musikdirector and
Kammercompositor, and in 1759, ^^ ^^ ^S^ ^^
twenty-seven, the composer began, what was up to
that date, the most important stage of his artistic
career, and ended forever his painful and uncertain
toil for enough to eat from day to day. For twenty-
one years he had struggled in misery, almost hope-
lessly, but without ever losing wholly his faith in his
future and always buoyed up by his intense love
for his art. When he entered on the duties of his

new position it is not unreasonable to believe that
he looked back on his past, on the childhood days
when he was beaten and sent to bed hungry by the
stern but well-meaning Frankh ; on his days of
neglect and cruel insult under Reuter ; on his home-
less wanderings through the streets of Vienna, on
that chill November night, not knowing how to ob-
tain food and shelter; on his humiliating lackey
services to Porpora. It was all over now, however,
and he was never again to know want for the half
century he had yet to live.

In his first year with Count Morzin, Haydn, tak-
ing advantage of the opportunities afforded him for
hearing his own music performed by able musicians,
wrote his first symphony. It is a brief work in three
movements, for string quintet, two oboes, and two
horns. It reflects Emanuel Bach strongly, but in
its brightness and easy flow foreshadows the future
style of the composer. It was the forerunner of one
hundred and twenty-five symphonies, some of which
were to break wholly with the past, and to widen
infinitely the bounds of instrumental music, and to
pave the way for a Beethoven. Haydn was now in
comparative wealth. His salary was two hundred
florins ($100), and in addition he received board
and lodging free. Fortune seemed to smile on him
at last. Unfortunately, in this bright hour he took
a step which embittered his life for nearly forty
years.

When Haydn was in the depths of poverty that
attended his early days of adversity he made the
acquaintance of one Keller, a wig-maker. This per-
son had two daughters to whom Haydn gave music
lessons. He fell desperately in love with the
younger, but she entered a convent and took the
veil. Her father, however, urgently entreated
Haydn to marry the other, and in an evil hour he
consented, though she was three years his elder.
When prosperity dawned on him, with equal hon-
esty and ill luck he kept his promise, and on the
26th of November, 1 760, the girl became his wife.
It was not long before he discovered his irreparable
mistake. The partner he had taken for life was a
vixen, foul-mouthed, quarrelsome, a bigot in relig-
ion, reckless in extravagance, utterly unappreciative
of her husband's genius, and, as he complained,
" did not care whether he was an artist or a cob-
bler," as long as he could supply her with money.
She bickered with him constantly, insulted him for
his inability to clothe her expensively, refused to

BUST OF JOSEPH HAVDN, TAKEN FROM LIFE.
From an India proof of an engraving by J. Thompson of drawing by Hammerton. Presented to tl
Sutmon's Eieter Hall edition of "The Creation," by the Chevalier Neukomm.

252

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

know his friends, and acted like the virago that she
was on the slightest provocation. Naturally genial
and affectionate, and peculiarly fitted for a happy
domestic life by his peaceful and amiable tempera-
ment, it is not surprising that he soon wearied of the
woman who made existence a torture to him. No
children came to soften the asperities of this ill-
assorted union, and if Haydn turned from it to find
the happiness and the comfort that were resolutely
denied him at his own fireside, and at last became
addicted to gallantry, excuse if not pardon may be
accorded him. They lived apart during the greater
portion of their married life, but were not formally
separated until thirty-two years later. She passed
the last years of her life at Baden, near Vienna, pre-
ceding her husband to the grave by nine years.

It was not long after this marriage that the good
Count Morzin found himself unable to maintain his
orchestra longer, and therefore he was compelled to
dismiss it and its conductor. Haydn was thus
thrown on his own resources again, but not for long.
By this time he had made a name for himself, and
fortunately Prince Paul Anton Esterhazy had been
a frequent visitor at Count Morzin's and heard much
of Haydn's music there. It had impressed him
greatly by its originality and its s[)irit. On the
breaking up of the orchestra the Prince at once en-
gaged Haydn as his second Capellmeister, and in
May, 1 76 1, when he was twenty-nine years old, he
went to Eisenstadt in Hungary, where was the
country seat of the richest and most liberal of the
Austrian nobles. There Haydn's wandering ended,
for in ser\'ice of this family be was fated to remain
for the rest of his life.

The Esterhazy family was distinguished for its
love of music, and the first Prince Paul, who died
nearly fifty years before Haydn entered on his long
connection with this house, founded a private
chapel, the performers in which were increased in
number from time to time. There were a chorus,
solo singers, and an orchestra, and they participated
not only in the church services, but in concerts and
eventually in operas. When Haydn joined the or-
chestra it consisted of only sixteen musicians, but
they were all excellent artists, and the precision and
finish of their playing sur|)assed anything of the
kind that Haydn had previously heard. He was
now free to exercise his musical invention in any
direction that he sav/ fit to choose. The orchestra
was at his call on any day and at any hour, and he

was thus enabled to experiment with it, and as he
himself said, " to observe what was good and what
was weak in effect, and was consequently in a posi-
tion to better, to change, to amplify, to curtail " his
music according as a hearing of it suggested. He
was now free from all care, cut off from the outer
world, and able to give full play to the art aspira-
tions that were in him.

With all this independence on one side, on the
other he was in a position not much higher than
that of an upper servant. The agreement between
Haydn and the Prince is still in existence, and some
of its stipulations are so curiously humiliating that
they are worth reproducing here. It is impressed
on Haydn that he must be temperate ; must abstain
from vulgarity in eating and drinking and conversa-
tion ; must take care of all the music and the musi-
cal instruments, and be answerable for any injury
they may suffer from carelessness or neglect ; that
as he is an expert on various instruments, he shall
take care to practice on all that he is acquainted
with ; that when summoned to perform before com-
pany he shall take care that he and all members of
his orchestra do follow the instructions given and
appear in white stockings, white linen, powder, and
with either a pig-tail or a tie-wig. For pay, a
salary of four hundred florins, to be received quar-
terly " is hereby bestowfd upon the said Vice-Capell-
meister by his Serene Highness." In addition,
Haydn is permitted to have board at the officers'
table, or half a gulden a day in lieu thereof. The
whole tone of the contract places the composer in
the light of a menial. It is by no means likely that
it was made intentionally offensive, and, in fact, it
is doubtful if Haydn found it so. In Germany at
that time, the musician was not highly considered
socially, and the composer was far less esteemed
than were the virtuoso of eminence and the vocalist
of superior abilities. We read of musicians, in the
establishments of some of these princely patrons,
who, when they were not needed to play to enter-
tain the guests, were expected to wait on table or to
assist in the kitchen.

The chief Capellmeister, and nominally the head
of the orchestra, was Cregorius Josephus Werner,
an industrious musician, of whose compositions
nothing has come down to us, and of which nothing
deser\'ed to come down. He was now old, and was
to all intents and purposes replaced by Haydn,
whose revolutionary ideas and innovations generally

MONUMENT TO HAYDN IN VIENNA.
From a photograph.

254

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

must have greatly disturbed the calm of his prim,
formal, and pedagogic chief, who, in fact, rarely
spoke of him except as " a mere fop *' and " a song
scribbler." Haydn, on the contrary, always ex-
pressed a warm respect for the old musician, who
lived for five years under the new order of things
and then ceased to repine, in death. But Prince
Paul Anton died four years earlier, in fact before
Haydn had been in his service for quite a year, and
was succeeded by his brother Prince Nicolaus, the
"great Esterhazy," famous for the hvishness with
which he displayed his wealth and for the enthusi-
asm of his love for and patronage of the fine arts.

Under Prince Nicolaus a new order of things be-
gan, and his generosity was at once illustrated. The
salaries of all the musicians were increased, Haydn's
four hundred florins being increased to six hun-
dred and shortly after to seven hundred and eighty-
two, or about three hundred and ninety dollars of
our money. The force of the Capelle was enlarged
to seven singers and fourteen instrumentalists, and
rehearsals took place every day. By this time, a
knowledge of Haydn's music existed outside his
own country, and his works were beginning to be
known in London, Paris, and Amsterdam, and ^\t
years after he had been at Eisenstadt, the official
journal of Vienna, the Wiener Diarium, alludes to
him as " der Liebling unserer Nation." His indus-
try was unrelaxing, for he had already composed,
under the Esterhazys, some thirty symphonies and
cassations, several divertimenti in ^s^ parts, six
string trios, a concerto for French horn, twelve
minuets for orchestra, besides concertos, trios, so-
natas and variations for the clavier. His vocal
compositions were a Salve Regina for soprano and
alto, two violins and organ ; a Te Deum ; four Ital-
ian operettas ; a pastoral, " Acis and Galatea," writ-
ten for the marriage of Count Anton, eldest son of
Prince Nicolaus; and a cantata in honor of the
Prince's return from the coronation of Archduke
Joseph as king of the Romans. In none of these
works did Haydn rise to any high power. The
greater Haydn was yet to develop.

To go through, in detail, his life at Eisenstadt
would be only to repeat what has been already said,
and to give a catalogue of his compositions in the
order in which they were written. We shall there-
fore pass in rapid view the events of his career and
leave a consideration of his works until we reach
the point when it becomes necessary to estimate

the musician rather than the man. It may,
perhaps, be interesting to describe Haydn as he ap-
peared personally to his contemporaries. He wore
a uniform of light blue and silver, knee breeches,
white stockings, lace ruffles and white neckcloth.
His biographer. Dies, states ; " Haydn was below
the middle height, and his legs were somewhat too
short for his body, a defect which was made more
noticeable because of the style of attire he affected
and which he obstinately declined to change as the
fashions changed. His features were regular, his
expression was spirited and at the same time tem-
perate, amiable and winning. His face was stem
when in repose, but smiling and cheerful when he
conversed. I never heard him laugh. In build he
was firm ; he was lacking in muscle." He had a
prominent aquiline nose disfigured by a polypus
which he refused to have removed, and he was
heavily pitted by small pox. His complexion was
dark, so dark, in fact, that he was playfully called
"The Moor." His jaw was heavy and his under-
lip was large and hanging. Lavater described the
eyes and nose of Haydn as something out of the
common ; his brow noble and good, but his mouth
and chin " Philistine." Haydn's own opinion was
that he was ugly, and he took pleasure in reflecting
that it surely was not for his personal beauty that
so many women were attracted to him. That he
tried to make himself attractive to the opposite sex
by extreme neatness of attire, suavity of manner,
and flattery, in which he was an adept, is certain ;
and that he never lacked for warm admiration and
even devoted love from women is no less well-esta-
blished. He was very fond of fun, even that which
was not wholly refined, and a predilection for rough
practical joking abided with him to the last. He
was sincere and unaffected in his piety and looked
upon his talent as a gift from God, to be used duti-
fully in His ser\'ice. It was seldom that he began
to pen a composition without writing at its head. In
Nomine Domini, and at its end, Laus Deo, Now
and then he merely used the initials L.D., or S.D.G.
{Soli Deo Gloria) and sometimes he wrote B.V.M.
{Beatce Virgini Mari(€), This custom was retained
not only in his works for the church, but in those
for the orchestra and even for the stage ; and the
most elaborate dedication of all is that to his
opera " L'Infidelita Delusa," which he closes with
Laus omnipotenti Deo et BeatissimcE Virgini Marice,
Haydn's life at Eisenstadt, as it was at Esterhaz,

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

^55

to which Prince Nicolaus and his household re-
moved in 1 7^6, was one of almost complete seclu-
sion from the outer world and of unflagging work.
The quantity of music he wrote was enormous and
the rapidity with which he poured it forth was as-
tonishing. At Esterhaz he was obliged to provide
for two operatic performances and for one or two
fonnal concerts each week, in addition to the daily
music. It was here that Haydn wrote nearly all his
operas, the greater number of his arias and songs,
and the bulk of his orchestral and chamber music.
The vast quantity of music he wrote and the ra-
pidity with which he produced it has given rise to
the belief that he composed quickly ; but such was
not the case. His work was always carefully
thought out, and whenever an idea
occurred to him that he thought of
musical value and worth elaborating,
he pondered long over it and only
began to write it out finally after he
was, as he said, " fully convinced that
it was as it should be." He was now
in receipt of a salary of one thousand
florins, or about five hundred dollars,
and it is stated that he nearly doubled
this by the sale of his compositions.
His operas, of which he was specially
fond, brought him the least profit.
The extravagance of his wife, how-
ever, kept him constantly embarrassed
in his money affairs, and an attach-
ment he formed for one of the singers silhouette
in the chapel, I.uigia Polzelli, did not P'ohibi/ »uggMi«d
mend matters.

For the rest, the story of Haydn's life is little else
than a catalogue of his works. From 1766, the
year in which he became, by the death of Werner,
the head of the Esterhazy Capelle, to 1790, the year
of his first visit to I-ondon, nearly a quarter of a
century, was the most fniitful period of his musical
career. His greatest works, however, were yet to
be written. Though he was already famous, he
was not permitted to hold his position unassailed,
and many and violent were the attacks upon him
for his innovations and his disdain for pedagogic
rules, by the critics of the older and more conserva-
tive school. Honors, nevertheless, began to pour
in on him. The Philharmonic Society of Modena
elected him a member in 1780. In 1784, Prince
Henry of Prussia sent him a. gold medal and his

portrait in return for six quartets dedicated to him.
In 1787, King Frederick William II. gave him a
diamond ring as a recognition of his merit as a
composer. In the meanwhile, in 1785, he received
a commission to compose the " Seven Last Words
of Christ" for the Cathedral of Cadiz, a fact which
evidences how far his reputation had travelled from
the solitude of Esterhaz. In the period named, he
had written eight masses including the famous
" Mariazell " mass in C, and the great "Cecilia"
mass, the largest and most difficult of all his works
in this kind, and now only performed in a con-
densed form. Within the same period he wrote
sixty-three symphonies, most of which are in his
eariier style, though a steady progress is shown toward
the master symphonies he wrote for
the London concerts.

During his residence at Esterhaz
he wrote over forty quartets, and these
were, up to the time of his departure
for London, his greatest achievements.
It was in these that he became the
originator of modem chamber music
and led the way to both Mozart and
Beethoven. His clavier music still
was under the influence of Emanuel
Bach, though the twenty-eight sonatas
that belong to this period, in freedom,
melody and clearness are far in ad-
vance of anything that had been pre-
viously achieved. Seventeen clavier
OF HAYDN, trios are also the product of this period
by tin mini.tuF. and are still full of charm. He did
not begin to write songs until he was
nearly fifty years old, and the twenty-four he com-
posed at Esterhaz were by no means of marked
value. His part-songs were of a better order, but
his canons were best of all, and may be still heard
with pleasure.

It was during his stay at Esterhaz that his friend-
ship for Mozart developed ; and never was one great
genius more cordially or sincerely admired by an-
other than was Mozart by Haydn ; and so frank was
his recognition of the younger composer's worth,
that he was fond of declaring that he never heard
one of Mozart's compositions without learning some-
thing from it. He pronounced Mozart " the greatest
composer in the world," and affirmed that if he had
written nothing but his violin quartets and the
" Requiem " he would have done enough to insure

u

256

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

his immortality. The personal friendship between
the two masters was a tender one and like that of
father and son. On the eve of Haydn's departure
for London Mozart was deeply moved and lamented
their separation. With tears in his eyes he said to
Haydn, "We shall never see each other again on
earth/* a prophecy that was only too literally ful-
filled. When Haydn, then in London, heard of
Mozart's death he grieved over it bitterly and with
tears, and he wrote to a friend that his joy of re-
turning home would be gloomy because he should
not be greeted by the great Mozart.

It was in 1787 that Haydn received an urgent
invitation from Cramer, the violinist, to visit Lon-
don, but without any favorable results. Salomon
took more practical measures, and in 1 789 sent Bland,
the music publisher, to try what personal persuasion
could effect. It achieved nothing at this time, and
Bland was obliged to return and to inform Salomon
of the failure of the scheme. Haydn would not
leave his "well-beloved Prince,'* but "wished to
live and die with him." In a favorable hour for
musical art, Prince Nicolaus died after a brief ill-
ness, in 1790. Haydn was in despair and mourned
him devotedly. The Prince testified to his appre-
ciation of the faithful services of his devoted Capell-
meister by leaving him an annual pension of one
thousand florins, on the condition that he consented
to retain the title of Capellmeister to the Esterhazys.
The Prince must have known that the Capelle would
be dismissed by Prince Anton, his successor, whose
taste for music was very slight. He discharged all
the musicians except the wind band, which was re-
tained to perform at banquets and other ceremo-
nials. Prince Anton nevertheless was not unkind
to those he dismissed, for he gave them gratuities
and added four hundred florins to the pension of
Haydn.

From this moment, Haydn was for the first time
his own master, free to go whither he would. His
fame, which was world-wide, assured him a warm
welcome, no heed in what capital he might take up
his residence, and his pensions and his savings
secured him from all fear for the comfort of his de-
clining years. He was now fifty-eight years of age.
He took up his abode in Vienna and soon received
an invitation to become Capellmeister to Count
Grassalcovics. This he declined ; but one day
shortly after, he received a visit from a stranger who
announced himself as Salomon of London, and was

determined to take Haydn there will he nil he.
Haydn resisted for a time, but at last all was arranged
favorably to Salomon, who, by the way, was a famous
violinist and conductor who was the projector of
some prominent London subscription concerts.
The terms which were agreed upon were as follows :
Haydn was to have for one season : ;^3oo for an opera
for Gallini, the owner and manager of the King's
Theatre in Drury Lane ; ;^300 for six symphonies
and ;^2oo additional for the copyright of them ;
J[^2oo for twenty new compositions to be produced by
Haydn at alike number of concerts, and ^200 guar-
anteed as the proceeds of a benefit concert for him,
;^i,2oo in all, or 12,000 florins. His travelling
expenses were paid by himself with the assistance of
a loan of 450 florins from the Prince. He left
Vienna with Salomon on the 15th of December,
1790, and arrived on English soil on the istof Jan-
uary, 1 79 1. His reception in London was enthu-
siastic. Noblemen and ambassadors called on him ;
he was overwhelmed with invitations from the high-
est society and distinguished artists hastened to pay
him homage. The musical societies fought for his
presence at their performances, his symphonies
and quartets were played, his cantata " Ariadne
a Naxos " was sung by the celebrated Pachierotto
and the newspapers vied with each other in hon-
oring him.

The first of his six symphonies composed for
Salomon was played March 11, 1 791, at the Han-
over Square Rooms, the composer conducting it at
the pianoforte. The orchestra, led by Salomon, con-
sisted of nearly forty performers. The work was
received with a storm of applause and the Adagio
was encored, — a rare event in that day. The
other symphonies were no less successful, and were
the finest works in their kind that Haydn had
written up to that time. His benefit, which took
place in May, was guaranteed to net him ;^200 but
it produced for him J[^Z^o. He was feted constantly
and enthusiasm attended him wherever he went.
Oxford conferred on him the honorary degree of
Doctor of Music during the Oxford Commemora-
tion, an important feature of which was three con-
certs. At the second of these, Haydn's " Oxford "
symphony was performed, Haydn giving the tempi
at the organ. At the third concert he appeared in
his Doctor's gown amid the wildest plaudits. He
was the guest of the Prince of Wales for three days,
and at a concert given all the music was of Haydn's

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

257

composition, and the Prince o{ Wales played the
'cello. In the meantime Salomon made a new con-
tract with him which prevented him from comply-
ing with a recall from Prince Esterhazy, to give
his services in a grand fete for the Emperor. He

Mrs. Schroeder. Haydn's susceptibilities were again
touched, and though his pupil was over sixty, he
said afterward : " Had I been free I certainly should
have married her." To her he dedicated three
clavier trios. He quitted London in June, 1791,

gave many lessons at his own price. Among his and when he reached Bonn, Beethoven called on
pupils was the widow of the Queen's music master, him for his opinion of a cantata. At Frankfort

Haydn met Prince Anton at the coronation of the
Emperor Francis H. At last he reached Vienna,
where he was welcomed with wild enthusiasm and
there was the greatest eagerness to hear his great
London symphonies. Did Haydn at this triumph-
ant moment recall the homeless young man who
wandered through the streets of the city on a No-

vember evening forty-three years ago, penniless and
despairing, and hopeless regarding his future pros-
pects ?

At the end of this year Beethoven went to Haydn
for instruction, and the lessons continued until
Haydn's second departure for I-ondon, The con-
nection between these two geniuses was not a

25^

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

happy one. There can be no doubt that Haydn
neglected his pupil. In fact, in the midst of his
social triumphs and at the height of his fame, giving
lessons in counterpoint could not have had much
attraction for him; moreover the twenty cents an
hour that Beethoven paid for instruction was
scarcely as tempting to the Haydn of that day as it
would have been to the Haydn of fifty years before.
The breach between the old and the young com-
poser widened. The latter went to Schenk, a repu-
table musician, for additional lessons, zind then
refused to call himself Haydn's pupil. Haydn at
one time intended to take Beethoven to England
with him, but the latter, whenever occasion offered,
made unflattering and contemptuous remarks about
the old man, and these irritating him and wounding
his self-esteem caused him to abandon his intention.
Later, Beethoven's resentment softened, and when
on his deathbed he was shown a view of Haydn's
humble birth-place, he said : *' To think that so great
a man should have been bom in a common peas-
ant's hovel."

While in Vienna Haydn paid a visit to his native
village Rohrau, the occasion being the inauguration
of a monument erected in his honor by Count Har-
rach, in whose household Haydn's mother had been
a cook. The emotions of the composer may be
imagined. The little boy who fifty-four years earlier
quitted home to study with the pedagogue Frankh,
returned in the glory of a fame that was world-wide,
and one of the greatest of composers, honored of
monarchs, and courted of all. Good fortune had
followed him from the first j and though he suffered
much in those sad, early days, every change in his
position was for the better. Far different was the
fate of a still greater master, the luckless Mozart.

In 1 794, Haydn departed on his second journey
to London under contract to Salomon to compose
six new symphonies. Prince Anton parted unwill-
ingly with him and died three days after. The
success of the previous visit was repeated, and his
reception was even still more fervent and enthusi-
astic. Toward the end of this stay he was much
distinguished by the Court. At a concert at York
House, the King and Queen, the Princesses, the
Prince of Wales, and the Dukes of Clarence and
Gloucester were present, and the Prince of Wales
presented Haydn to the King. Both the King and
Queen urged him to remain in England and pass
the summer at Windsor ; but Haydn replied that he

could not abandon Prince Esterhazy, and beside,
the Prince had already written that he wished to
reorganize his chapel with Haydn as conductor.
He returned to his native land, his powers still
further developed, his fame increased and his for-
tune enlarged. By concerts, lessons and sym-
phonies he made twelve thousand florins (J6000)
enough, added to what he already possessed, to give
him no further anxiety for the future.

Again was his welcome home marked by the most
demonstrative cordiality. From this time out there
is but little to relate except to repeat the story of
his industry and his musical fecundity, until the
culmination of his artistic career was reached in the
works of his old age, "The Creation" and "The
Seasons." The success of both was enormous, and
he composed very little after the latter work. His
health began to fail, and he laid it at the door of
" The Seasons." He said, " I should never have
undertaken it. It gave me the finishing stroke."
He lived in comparative seclusion, and only once
more appeared in public, the occasion being a per-
formance of "The Creation." He was then
seventy-six years of age. As he entered the con-
cert room he was saluted by a fanfare of trumpets
and the cheers of the audience. His excitement
was so great that it was thought advisable to take
him home at the end of the first part. As he was
borne out friends and pupils surrounded him to take
leave. Beethoven was present, and bent down to
kiss the old man's hands and forehead. All ani-
mosities were soothed in that last hour of triumph ;
the crowning moment and the close of a great
master's career. When Haydn reached the door
he urged his bearers to pause and turn him face
toward the orchestra. Then he raised his hands as
if in benediction, and in a long, lingering glance
bade farewell to the art to which he had been
devoted since the time when, as a boy, he hoarded
his florins to purchase the precious volume of Fux,
which he placed under his pillow when he slept,
down to this pathetic culminating moment.

Haydn's life passed peacefully until in 1809
Vienna was bombarded by the French, and a shell
fell near his dwelling. His servants were alarmed,
but he cried in a loud voice, " Fear not, children.
No harm can happen to you while Haydn is here."
The city was occupied by the enemy and the last
visitor Haydn ever received was a French officer, who
sang to him, " In native worth." Haydn was deeply

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

JS9

affected and embraced his guest warmly at parting.
A few days afterward, he called his servants about
him for the last time, and bidding them carry him
to the piano he played the Emperor's Hymn, three
times. Five days later, May 31, 1809, that busy
life ended peacefully. He was buried in the Hunds-

thurm Church yard, close to the suburb in which he
had lived ; but eleven years later the remains were
exhumed by order of Prince Esterhazy and rein-
terred in the parish church at Eisenstadt. When
the coffin was opened for identification before re-
moval, tbe skull was missing. A skull was sent to

INDSTHURW CHURCH!

the Prince from an unknown source and was buried
with the other remains; but there are good grounds
for the belief that the real skull is in the possession
of the family of an eminent physician of Vienna.

Fifteen days after his death Mozart's Requiem
was performed in honor of his memory at the
Scholterkirche. Numerous French officers were
among the mourners, and the guard of honor about

the bier was chiefly composed of French soldiers.
No sooner did Haydn's death become known, than
funeral services were held in all the principal cities
of Europe.

The list of Haydn's compositions is enormous.
It includes 125 symphonies; 30 trios for strings,
and strings and wind; 77 quartets for strings; 20
for clavier ; 3 1 concertos for various other

26o

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

instruments; 38 trios for piano and strings; 53
sonatas and divertissements for clavier ; 4 sonatas for
clavier and violin ; 1 4 masses ; i Stabat Mater ; 8
oratorios and cantatas; 19 operas; 42 canons for
voice in two and more parts; 175 pieces for the

baritone; and a vast collection of other works,
among which are a collection of over 300 original
Scotch songs in three parts with violin and bass ac-
companiments and symphonies.

In estimating Haydn's life-work as a composer,
the principal stress must be laid on him as a re-
former in his art. Contrapuntally, music had reached
its highest development, but in many other impor-
tant directions it was at a low ebb. Concerted
music had not yet achieved any prominence as a dis-
tinct branch of the art. Vocal music was in the as-
cendant and the church and the opera-house offered
the principal if not the only means for composers
to achieve distinction. In Vienna, the Emperor,
Joseph II., was a liberal patron of music, and the
nobles, after the fashion of nobles generally, followed
the example of the court, and entered into rivalry
with each other in founding and supporting costly
musical establishments of their own. The Viennese,
however, had no very marked sympathy with art at
its highest. One hiiadred and twenty-five years
ago, Leopold Mozart wrote : " The Viennese public
love nothing that is serious or reasonable ; they
have not the sense to understand it, and their thea-
tres prove sufficiently that nothing but rubbish such
as dances, burlesque, harlequinades, ghost magic
and devil's tricks will satisfy them. A fine gentle-
man, even with an order on his breast, may be
seen laughing till the tears run down his cheeks, ap-
plauding as heartily as he can, some bit of foolish
buffoonery; while in a highly pathetic scene he
will chatter so noisily, with a lady that his wiser and
better-mannered neighbors can scarcely hear a word
of the piece." From which it will be seen that
fashion changes but little as time passes.

Instrumental music was, for the most part, con-
fined to dance tunes, and minuets, allemands,
waltzes and landler were the rage. Presently these
rose to importance and musicians began to take
greater care in composing them, until at length
came the suite, which was formed of a series of dan-
ces all written in the same key but varying in accent
and character. Then followed a second part to the
minuet, in the fifth of the key, and a return to the

first part, which proved to be the stepping-stone to
form ; and the minuet survived the suite, of which it
was originally a part, and continued an indispensa-
ble element of the symphony down to the time that
Beethoven enlarged it into the scherzo.

In considering the influence that Haydn exercised
on instrumental music it may perhaps be interesting
to take a passing glance at the condition of orches-
tration when he began to compose. The string
band, then, as now, was the foundation of the whole,
and the wind instniments were used to add solidity
to the score. The orchestra generally consisted of
the string quintet, two flutes, two oboes, two bas-
soons, two trumpets, two horns and tympani. The
first oboe did little else than duplicate the first vio-
lins, while the second oboe only appeared now and
then with a holding note, or doubled the first oboe.
The first bassoon either played in unison with the
bass or sustained the fundamental harmony, while
the second bassoon, from time to time, doubled the
first. The violas rarely had an independent part
and as a nile duplicated the bass. It is true that
Haydn had before him the example of Stamitz, who
gave an independent part to the viola in some of his
symphonies, but the innovation does not seem to
have influenced Haydn. Trumpets, horns and
drums had but little to do except to produce noise
when contrast in effect was deemed necessary. Un-
questionably, Emanuel Bach departed somewhat
from this conventional and circumscribed treatment
of the orchestra and gave to his wind instniments
independent parts. In his symphony in E-flat is to
be found, amid the customary unison and octave
passages for the strings, some charming and even
piquant free writing for the wind, together with a
marked feeling for contrasts between the wind and
the strings. The horns, especially, are used with a
genuine appreciation of their peculiar quality of tone
and the effect of their timbre. Occasionally the
strings remain silent and the wood wind are heard

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262

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

alone. More than this, for there is an attempt to
employ all the instruments in a manner calculated
to let their characteristic individualities produce
their due effect in regard to tone-color ; but, strangely
enough, Haydn does not appear to have been in
any way swayed by the innovations of his great pred-
ecessor, whose clavier works he had studied so as-
siduously. Still, a near and an inevitable change in
the methods of writing for the orchestra was in the
air, and the ground was not wholly unprepared for
Haydn.

The orchestration of John Sebastian Bach was
thin despite its elaboration. The strings formed the
foundation, according to the prevailing rule, and
were written in so many real parts, and when wind
instruments appeared, they were also used with an
independent polyphony. His contrasts were, for
the most part, produced by giving a melody to a
simple solo instrument, accompanied only by a bass,
while a figured bass indicated the chords to be filled
in by the organ or the clavier. It can hardly be
said that the greatest of the Bachs advanced the art
and science of orchestration. Handel's scoring was
in quite another vein, and may be viewed as revolu-
tionary for its era. In his overtures, especially, his
strings are used with the evident object of produc-
ing solidity in effect. The oboes often strengthen
the violins in unison and the bassoons perform the
same service for the basses, but he also used these
instruments independently and to embroider the
broad and simple themes of the strings. In addi-
tion, he made use of the latter and of the wind
separately, each body full in itself and responding
each to the other. Now and then he used three
trumpets, and in his " Rinaldo '* he resorts to four,
giving the bass to the drums. In " Saul " he uses
three trombones. Clarinets were unknown to him,
and the bass tuba was unborn in his day ; but other-
wise he was acquainted with all the instruments of the
modem orchestra and made use of them. One can-
not recall an instance in which he used them all in
combination, and hence, the four tnimpets of " Ri-
naldo " and the three trombones of " Saul " are not
heard together in any of his scores. Notwithstand-
ing the fame of Handel, his daring innovations in
orchestration do not seem to have been studied by
Haydn, or if they were, they exercised no early
influence over him.

Gluck's scores must be considered epoch-making
in the art of orchestration. His " Orpheus " was

produced in 1762 when Haydn was thirty years of
age ; his " Iphig^nie en Aulide " was produced in
1774, and the other " Iphig^nie" was given in 1779.
In these works instrumentation was advanced to an
extent that broke almost wholly with the past. When
Gluck died Haydn was in his fifty-fifth year, and
yet the older composer, the report of whose world-
wide fame must have reached Haydn's ears, even in
the seclusion of Eisenstadt, does not appear to have
suggested anything to Haydn. The twelve great
Salomon symphonies, Haydn's, till then, highest
achievements in orchestral writing, were not pro-
duced until some seven years after Gluck's death,
and in them the influence is unmistakably that of
Mozart, who had undoubtedly studied Gluck
thoroughly.

The word " symphony " had various meanings be-
fore it became fixed as a name for the highest form of
instrumental music. It was, however, generally un-
derstood to signify an overture, and its closest con-
nection was with the opera. Originally it was
merely a notification to the audience that the opera
was about to begin ; an appeal for silence and to
concentrate attention on the coming entrance of
the singers. The French " symphony, " as exempli-
fied by Lully, opened with a slow movement followed
by an allegro, frequently in fugue form, and passed
again into an adagio which ended the overture.
The Italian symphony consisted of three movements,
the first of which was a moderate allegro, the second
an adagio, and the last a livelier and lighter allegro ;
and the Italian overture, as will be seen, became the
foundation of the modern symphony as far as the
positions of the movements are concerned. Before
Haydn, Stamitz, Abel, J. C. Bach and Wagenseil, as
well as Emanuel Bach, had written symphonies,
and a symphony by Stamitz, in D, is peculiarly
interesting, inasmuch as its form is completely in
accordance with that which was established perma-
nently by Haydn. The opening movement is an
Allegro, with the familiar double bar with the repeats
and the binary form. The second movement is an
Andante in the dominant; the third is a Min-
uet that has even the Trio, and the finale is a Presto.
The clavier sonatas of Ph. Emanuel Bach congealed
this form and had a permanent influence on it, in the
impression they made upon Haydn, who, by his mas-
tery of his art, his amazing fecundity in invention
and his unflagging productive powers, was enabled
to increase the scope and aim of this form so greatly

FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN

263

as to entitle him to be recognized as the creator of the
symphony. Haydn's first symphony was written in
•759) lor Count Morzin. We are unaware of any
printed copy of it in this country. Pohl describes
it as a slight work in three movements for two vio-
lins, viola, bass, two oboes and two horns. It ap-
pears to be modelled on the symphonies of Staraitz,
Abel and John Christian Bach. The symphonies
that followed differed but little in character from
this one and afford little if any insight into Haydn's
influence on the symphonic form. He appears to
have followed in the footsteps of his predecessors,
curiously enough, ignoring the symphonies of Eman-
uel Bach. The orchestra-
tion is meagre and conven-
tional, the violins are al-
most constantly playing,
and the wind is only used
to duplicate them. It is
not until we come to the
first symphony composed ,
by him at Eisenstadt that I
we see him as an innovator.
This work is in C-major,
and is generally known as
" Le Matin." It is in four
movements and begins with
a few bars of adagio. The
opening allegro is remark-
able for its variety of sub-
jects and their treatment,
and for the careful manner
in which it worked out. vnom, i78t. H>rd'

Between this movement and

the adagio is a long dramatic recitative for the violin,
very impressive, but having no discoverable connec-
tion with what precedes or what follows it. In
breadth, dignity, and expressiveness it surpasses
anything that the composer had hitherto produced.
From this time forth the symphony steadily grew
under Hadyn's hands ; the form was enlarged, the
orchestration was varied, the timbres of the different
instruments were studied and instrumental effects
gradually assumed an importance that increased with
each succeeding symphony. But his greatest sym-
phonies were not written until the period of the
Salomon concerts. In the meanwhile Mozart had
appeared upon the scene. Haydn's first symphony
was produced when Mozart was three years old, and
the latter died in the very year in which Haydn's

JOSEPH HAYDN.

connection with the Salomon concerts began. That
Haydn influenced Mozart's early works is beyond
question; that Mozart in turn, influenced Haydn
later, is equally indisputable.

In " Le Matin," before alluded to, the second vio-
lins play with the first, and the viola with the basses
almost through the whole of the first movement.
The slow movement has no wind instruments what-
ever. In the minuet, though, there is a long pas-
sage for wind instruments only, and in the trio is an
extensive and florid solo for bassoon. Haydn treated
the strings in this same confined manner, and the
wind after this solo fashion for some twenty years.
Then came an effort to
make the strings more in-
dependent and to pay at-
tention to the peculiarqual-
ities of the viola and vio-
loncello. In the symphony
)in E-minor (Letter I) the
wind is given long hold-
ing notes while strings
sustain the subject. This
was the first step toward
greater freedom of orches-
tration in Haydn's sympho-
nies ; but it was not until
his " Oxford " symphony
that he broke wholly with
the past. It was written
in 1788, the same year in
. . which Mozart produced his
I »>ii loxy-ninth ytir. three greatest symphonies.

This work is in his mature
style, and the orchestration is delightfully clear, flex-
ible and fresh. If he had written no more sympho-
nies after this, however, he would not have attained
to the rank he has won as a symphony composer.
His fame in this walk of his art was assured by the
twelve symphonies he wrote for Salomon after 1 790.
In these he reached his highest point. His mastery
of form was perfected, his technical skill was unlim-
ited, and he ventured into bold harmonic progressions
that were httle short of daring, for his time. His or-
chestra had been enlarged to two flutes, two oboes,
two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets and drums,
and in his three last symphonies, the two in D-minor
and the one in E-flat, two clarinets appear. It is in
these twelve symphonies that the influence of Mozart
is clearly manifested. The bass has attained to inde-

264

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

pendence ; the violas no longer duplicate it except
for certain effects ; the second violins have a free
motion of their own ; the wind instruments express
musical ideas proper to them and appropriate to
their special qualities of utterance. The form and
character of the symphony were established per-
manently.

Simplicity, clearness of style, grace and playful-
ness are the leading features of Haydn's symphonies.
There are few of the more notable of them in which
his command over the science of his art is not de-
lightfully manifested. Haydn is invariably lucid,
always finished to the highest point, always logical
and always free from display for the mere sake of
display. It is a prevailing fault to dwell too persist-
ently on the cheerful simplicity of Haydn's music
and to forget how serious and profound he could be
wljen occasion demanded. These latter qualities are
nobly manifested in his more important symphonies
in those portions of them devoted to the " working
out." Such symphonies as appeared before Haydn
fixed the form and showed the capacity of that
species of composition have wholly disappeared. It
would perhaps be over dogmatic to assert that had
it not been for Haydn the symphonies of Mozart
and of Beethoven would not have been what they
are ; but it is certain that Haydn gave the impulse
to both in as far as their symphony writing is con-
cerned.

Of the quartet Haydn may be justly called the
inventor, and it is in this phase of his art that he
may be most profitably studied. The quartet was,
as Otto Jahn truly says, " Haydn's natural mode of
expressing his feelings," and it is in the quartet that
Haydn's growth and progress in his art are most
Strikingly illustrated. Their influence on music has
been greater than that exerted by his symphonies.
Here he is seen in his full and his best strength, and
it is here too that his extraordinary creative powers
are most brilliantly emphasized. When these works
first appeared they were sneered at by the pedagogues
of the day, but by-and-by more respect was shown
to them even by their earlier antagonists, for it was
seen that the quartet was not only susceptible of
depth of sentiment and seriousness of treatment, but
that musical learning also had in them a field for its
finest development. These quartets, from the op-
portunities they afforded for performance in the
family circle, exercised great influence in raising the
standard of taste, and in their educational aspects

they were thus of the highest service. They crystal-
lized form and in essence may be looked on as the
parent of all the serious and so-called classical music
that has been composed since. The progeny may
only distantly resemble the parents, but the form
establishes beyond all cavil the family resemblance.

Haydn's first quartet is the merest shadow. The
first half of the opening movement consists of no
more than twenty-four bars. The subject com-
prises eight bars ; then comes eight bars of an epi-
sode modulating into the dominant, and then the
second subject, also eight bars in length ; but brief
and pale as it is, it is unmistakably the germ that
was elaborated by Beethoven into such prodigious
masterpieces. It is in the quartet that Haydn
found the fullest outlet for his wealth of musical
thought, and it is in the quartet that his genius is
illustrated in its most marked individuality. Quar-
tets were w^ritten before his day, and also by his
contemporaries, J. C. Bach, Stamitz, Jomelli, Bocche-
rini, and others, but Haydn's marvellous invention,
his originality in the mastery of form, his fine feel-
ing for the characteristic speech of each instrument
enabled him to obtain a mastery that left him with-
out a rival. His early quartets are exceedingly
thin, and are in such glaring contrast with what
came after the composer had wholly developed the
capacity of the quartet as a means of profound ex-
pression of musical thought, that he is said to have
wished to ignore all his works in this class that pre-
ceded the nineteenth quartet ; but they are neces-
sary to the student who would follow the growth of
musical form. It is an immense stride from the
first of these compositions to the ever-beautiful
" Kaiser quartet," with its exquisite variations, or
" Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser." The advance
from simple harmonies to polyphonic treatment of
the different parts, is a peculiarly interesting subject
for study. Haydn stamped a character on the quar-
tet that has never been departed from ; and what is
known as the " quartet style " was established by
him so thoroughly that in all the mutations in musical
taste, it still remains a distinction that admits of no
change.

Haydn also left the impress of his genius on the
sonata, though to Emanuel Bach is due the honor
of having broken with the past as represented by
Domenico Scarlatti and Kuhnau. The same copious-
ness of invention and perfection of form that char-
acterize his quartets and symphonies are to be found

FRANZ JOSEPH HA YDN

265

in his sonatas, too much neglected at present, for in
several of his later compositions of this class he
appears to have gone further than Mozart and to
have overlapped into the era of Beethoven. His
trios for clavier and strings are full of interest, but
with two or three exceptions they are not of special
value except as models. The strings are often held
subordinate to the piano, and the outer voices are
too persistently doubled. Of his other purely instru-
mental works, including concertos and divertimenti,
nothing survives except the fine concerto for clavier
in D with " principal violin."

His songs, of which he wrote many, have passed
for the most part into deserved oblivion. Some of
his canzonets are marked by grace and delicacy,
but the sign of age is unmistakably on them. His
masses display that eternal freshness and that cheer-
fulness of spirit that are peculiarly Haydn's, and the
more important of them must rank forever among
the masterpieces of their class, notably the " Maria-
zeir* Mass in C-major, and the "Cecilia" Mass, in
the same key.

"The Seasons " and " The Creation " are remark-
able not only in themselves, but as productions of his
old age. It is true that his fame does not rest on
them, and it is equally true that if he had written
nothing else these works would not have brought the
composer's name down to our day with the glory that
now surrounds it. Some portions of " The Creation"
however, are noble music, and these will always be
listened to with delight. Never was the human
voice treated in a more masterly manner than it has
been by Haydn in these " oratorios," and the study
of their scores is still valuable to all who would
learn how to support the voice by flowing and bril-
liant orchestration without giving undue prominence
to the instruments.

The dramatic interest of "The Creation" is not
strong. There is nothing in the shape of declama-
tion, and the singers are confined to mere descrip-
tion. The result is a lack of passion and a conse-
quent monotony of sentiment. The tone-picture of
Chaos, with which the work opens, stands out as one
of the noblest bits of instrumentation that Hadyn
ever wrote. The air "With Verdure Clad" is ex-
quisite, in melody and orchestration, but its many
repetitions mar it and make it tiresome. "On
mighty pens " is another lovely air, but here too the
composer has not been fortunate in respect to dis-
creet brevity. The choruses reach a high point of

beauty in regard to themes, development and voice
treatment, and " The Heavens are telling " still re-
mains one of the noblest oratorio chonises outside
of Bach and Handel. But the breadth and dignity
of all the choruses are impaired by the elaborate-
ness of the orchestration. Haydn was essentially an
instrumental composer, and it was but natural that
he should have yielded to the temptation to produce
effects of which he was practically the inventor and
at which the musical world still marvelled. It is,
with all its faults, an amazing work for a man not
far from three-score and ten years of age ; and it
may still be listened to with pleasure, when the last
part is omitted ; for the wooings and cooings of
Adam and Eve have become incurably old-fash-
ioned; and the grace, melodiousness and tender-
ness of the music do not atone for its monotonous
effect and its lack of dramatic color.

"The Seasons," by its well sustained pastoral
tone, its fresh and cheerful melodies, the fidelity
with which the composer has adhered to the spirit
of his poem, and the simple grace of style that marks
the work throughout, make it still delightful in the
hearing when it is produced with care and in har-
mony with the chaste sentiment that pervades it.
When it is remembered that the composer compassed
this work at the age of 69, and consequently near
the end of a busy life whose active pursuit might well
have exhausted his capacity to invent, its wealth of
melody is astonishing. And yet, he said to Michael
Kelly, " It is the tune which is the charm of music,
and it is that which is most difficult to produce." In
our day it would seem that tune is exhausted or that
it is more difficult to produce than it was. In this
connection another saying of Haydn's may be re-
produced for the felicity with which it applies to the
present time : " Where so many young composers
fail is, that they string together a number of frag-
ments and break off almost as soon as they have be-
gun ; so that at the end the hearer carries away no
clear impression." By omitting the word "young,"
the words will not be any the less true now.

Of Haydn's Hghter vocal works there is no need
to speak, for they have passed away forever. His
operas have been wholly forgotten, and not unkindly.
It is, however, as an instrumental composer that
Haydn is entitled to the most earnest consideration.
In this field of his industry he has left an imperish-
able name. He was, to all intents and purposes, the
creator of orchestral music. His place in musical

a66

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

history is among the greatest in his art. He broke
with pedantry at the outset of his career, enlarged
the scope and dignified the aim of music, and made
the world the happier for his presence and in the
rich legacy he left it. Music has changed greatly
since his day, and in its progress it has departed
widely and is still departing, even more widely, from
the conditions in which he left it ; but in all its
changes it has left his position unassailed. His best
achievements in his art are yet listened to with
delight, despite the richer orchestration and the
larger design that characterize the music of our

time. He has outlived every mutation thus far, and
it is perhaps not overbold to prophesy that his fame
will endure long after the vague, restless and labored
music that is peculiar to the present era, is forgotten.
The moral of his life is devotion to art for art's
sake. He was loyal to it through poverty, suffering
and disappointment, never doubting his mission on
earth. His early career was through tears, but as
Heine says: "The artist is the child in the fable,
every one of whose tears was a pearl. Ah ! the
world, that cniel step-mother, beats the poor child
the harder, to make him shed more tears."

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

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at characlarlttic life portrait of Motart la Ma later yeara. Tin Hate 1787 It Innirrttt

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

OHANN GEORG MOZART, the

grandfatherof the great composer,

was a bookbinder. He lived in

Augsburg, and in 1708 he married

Anna Maria Peterin, the widow

of a fellow 'handle raftsman named

Bannegcr. By her he had five children, and the

youngest boy was Johana Georg I^opold, the author

of the " Violin School " and the father of Wolfgang,

the immortal composer.

Leopold Mozart was a man of no ordinary parts.
His face is known to us by the engraving from the
portrait painted by the amateur Carmontelle in
Paris, I 763, and by the family group in the Mozart-
eum in Salzburg. It is an honest face, keen,
sustere ; a mocking jest might have passed the lips,
but neither flatteries nor lies. His tastes were
simple, his life was ever free from dissipation. In
money matters he was regarded as close, and the
reproach has been made by some that he acted as
a Barnura towards his two precocious children. The
reproach is unjust. The man was poor. His earn-
ings were small. He needed money to pay his
debts and support his family. But no specific
charge of meanness or avarice has been substan-
tiated. On the other hand he was scrupulously hon-
est, sincere in the duties of his profession, and of
a profoundly religious nature that was shown in
profession and practice. At the same time he was
not a bigot. He would not yield to the tyranny
of priests ; he was free from superstition of every
sort ; his sane spirit and his bitter wit were exercised
in spiritual as well as temporal affairs. Grimm, who
was no meail judge of men, wrote of him as follows :
" The fother is not only a skilful musician, but a man
of good sense and ready wit, and I have never seen
a man of his profession who was at the same time so
talented and of such sterling worth." As a musician
he was thorough, well educated, and a composer
of merit. His treatise upon violin playing was

known throughout Europe, and it showed the solid
qualities of the musician and the ironical tempera-
ment of the man. All of his gifts were used, how-
ever, chiefly in directing and developing most visely
the extraordinary genius of the young Wolfgang,
The affection shown him, however, was lavished
equally upon his wife and other children.

Salzburg is a town renowned for its beauty. "To
see it shining in the sun, with its large white facades,
its flat roofs, its terraces, its church and convent
cupolas, its fountains, one would take it for an
Italian city." The advantages of its natural situa-
tion and the arlifical charms of the place were, if
the opinion of the eighteenth century may be ac-
cepted, only equalled by the stupidity of the inhabi-
tants. There was a German proverb that ran as
follows : " He who comes to Salzburg grows foolish
the first year, becomes an idiot the second ; but it
is only until the third year that he is a Salzbui^er."
The German Harlequin Hanswurst, however, was a
Salzburg creation ; and the inhabitants were fond of
heavy and coarse jokes. No wonder then that the
town and the society were distasteful to Leopold
Mozart. He left his birthplace to study law in
Salzburg; and in 1743 he entered the service of the
Archbishop Sigismund, as a court -musician. Later
he became court- com poser and leader of the
orchestra; in 1762 he was second Kapellmeister.
In 1747 he married Anna Maria Pertl or Bertl.
She was the daughter of the steward of a hospital.
She was very beautiful, good natured, loving, and of
limited education. Seven children were born of
this marriage. Five died at a very early age. The
fourth, Maria Anna (born July 30, 1751)1 '^^
familiarly known as " Nannerl," and she was a
musical prodigy. The seventh and last was born at
eight o'clock in the evening, Jan. 27, 1756, and the
mother nearly died in the child-bed. According
to the certificate of baptism, he was named Joac-
nes-Chrysostomus-Wolfgangus-Theophilus His first

270

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

x:ompositions published in Paris in 1764 are signed
J. G. Wolfgang. Later works bear the name Wolf-
gang Amade. In private life he was known as
Wolfgang. Variations sometimes found in the bio-
graphies come from the fact that Theophilus and
Amadeus and Gottlieb are but one and the same
name.

Schachtner, the court trumpeter, and a house-
friend of the father, preserved for us in a letter
written to Mozart's sister many interesting details of
the early manifestations of the boy*s genius. At
the age of three he sought thirds upon the keys
of the pianoforte. At the age of four his father be-
gan to teach him little pieces. When he was fiwt

he dictated minuets to his lather, which are of
natural but correct harmony, melodious and even
characteristic. The first of these minuets is given
herewith. These are not legends, but well attested
facts. Four minuets and an allegro have been
published by Otto Jahn in the second edition of his
" Mozart." Singular indeed are some of the stories
related. Up to the age of ten he could not endure
the sound or sight of the trumpet. He wrote a
pianoforte concerto, clearly conceived, but of unsur-
mountable difficulty, when he was four. His sense
of pitch was extraordinary. The father watched
this astounding precocity with loving fear and prayed
that he might be wise enough to direct it.

MOZART'S FIRST COMPOSITION.

Ainuet.

$^ I Cf iul-te

MenucU Da Capo.

FASfOVS COMPOSERS

In 1762 Wolfgang and Maria Anna — the latter
was now a pianoforte virtuoso — played before the
Elector of Ilavaria in Munich, and ihe enthusiasm
provoked by their aiipearance was so great, that
Leopold obtained leave of absence in September of
the same year and went with his family to Vienna.
At Passau the children played before the Kishop,
who marvelled greatly and gave the father a ducat.
At Linz they gave their first concert. They then
descended the Damibe to Vienna, stopping at the
monastry of Ips, where Wolfgang played so effec-
tively upon the organ that the Franciscan fathers
left the dinner table that they might hear him;
which miracle is doubtless recorded in the annals
of the abbey.

The Austrian imperial family was passionately
fond of music. Francis the First was a distin-
guished connoisseur, and Maria Theresa was a
pupil of Wagenseil, as well as an accomplished
singer. The Mozart children were received with
open arms. The courtiers were astonished at the
display of genius. The Emperor spent hours in
testing and wondering at the powers of Wolfgang.
The yoimg Marie Antoinette romped with the boy
who promised to marry her when he was old enough.

The noble families of the town vied with each other
in their attentions. The children were given
money, court dresses, and tokens of genuine affec-
tion, and the first portrait of Wolfgang was painted
then in Vienna, in which he has powdered hair, and
he carries a sword. The boy was seized with scarlet
fever in October, and in the beginning of 1763
Leopold went back to Salzburg. But the 9th of
June of the same year, with his wife and children,
he set out for Paris, having letters of credit from
his good friend Haguenauer. They had adventures,
and they gave concerts on the way. They arrived
at Ludwigsburg, the Versailles of Stuttgart, where
Joraelli with his carriages and horses, houses and
yearly salary of four thousand florins, brought to
Leopold's mind his own modest condition and pro-
voked him to bitter remarks. Frankfort, Bonn and
Brussels were seen, and finally the family arrived in
Paris the 18th of November. The story of this
visit, as well as the visit of 1778, has been most en-
tertainingly told by Jullien in the brochure " Mozart
h. Paris," to which the reader is referred for interest-
ing details. The letters of Leopold contain much
curious information about the musical condition of
the city. Frederick Melchior Grimm, who was
regarded as an authority, exerted himself most

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

»73

actively in the behalf of his compatriots. They were
presented at Court ; they were celebrated in prose
and in verse ; their portraits were painted ; and
four sonatas " pour le clavecin " were engraved and
published. In April, 1764, Leopold left Paris for
London, by Calais, Dover, and he took with him
the opinion that French music and French morals
were detestable. In England the family were re-
ceived most kindly by the King and the Queen, who,
as is well known, were passionate amateurs of music.
The curiosity of the Londoners to hear the children
was great; the learned Daines Barringion proved
the genius of Wolfgang in many ways, and then
made it the subject of a letter preserved in the an-
nals of the " Philosophical Transactions " of the
year 1 7 70 ; and guineas chinked pleasantly together
in Leopold's pocket. Here Wolfgang wrote three
symphonies, four according to Jahn and Koechel,
but Wilder gives good reasons for doubting the date
of the one in B-flat major. He also dedicated six
sonatas for pianoforte and violin or flute to the
Queen. His London visit benefited his education.
Pohl in his interesting and valuable " Mozart in
Ijjndon " gives a full account of the condition of
music at the time, Wolfgang had an opportunity of
hearing Handel's oratorios and Italian opera; he
became intimate with Christian Bach ; he heard the

castrate Tenducci, the master of cantabile ; he took
singing lessons of the famous male soprano Manzu-
oli. In July 1765 Leopold and the children started
for the Hague ; at Lille, Wolfgang was seriously ill,
and at the Hague the sister was attacked by a vio-
lent fever, Wolfgang wrote while in Holland six
sonatas and other pieces. After passing through
Paris and Swiss towns, the family arrived at Salzburg
in November, 1766, Wolfgang was pleased at see-
ing again his favorite cat, and then under his
father's direction he began the study of the "Gra-
dus" of Fux. In 1767 he learned Latin and set
to Latin words a comedy, " Apollo et Hyacinthus,"
at the instigation of the Archbishop, who had
hitherto played the part of doubting Thomas.
He also wrote four pianoforte concertos for his own
use in concerts.

Leopold was not blind to the fact that Italy was
the home of great composers and illustrious singers ;
that its atmosphere was stimulating to musical
thought ; that its very name was synonymous with
music. Under pretext of a short visit to Vienna, he
made his excuses to the Archbishop and started, in
September, i 767, with his family on a longer jour-
ney. In Vienna, the children were seized with
small-pox, and it was not until January, 176S, that
they were able to enter into the musical life of the
town. They heard Cluck's "Alceste," and Leopold

3 74

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

preferred to il Hasse's " I'artenope." Joseph II.,
a man of frugal mind, demanded of Wolfgang an
opera for his theatre, and the boy wrote "La Kinta
Simplice," an opera-biiff.n in three ni;ts. It won the

'HERE MOZART ¥

umiualified praise of the singers and such tom-
I>osers as Hasse, but the cabal against Wolfgang was
too strong, and the opera was not given. " Bastien
und Bastienne," an opera in one act, was written im-
mediately after, and produced with great applause
in the house of a Vienna doctor. (The pastoral
theme of the instrumental introduction, the intrada,
anticipates in a singular manner the opening of
Beethoven's Third Symphony.) Wolfgang's first
mass was given in public, and he himself directed.
The Archbishop of Sal/burg sent word to Leopold
that his pay would continue only while he was ac-
tually in Salzburg, and so the family returned home.
Hut the Itali.in journey was still in Leopold's head,
and hoping to pay the expenses of the trip by giving

concerts, he started out with Wolfgang in December,
I 769, At Roveredo and Verona, the enthusiasm of
the people was unbounded; at Milan they met the
generous \'on Kirmian, who was the means of pro-
curing a contract for Wolfgang to write an opera for
the Christmas holidays ; at Bologna they became
acquainted with Father Martini and Farinelli ; at
Florence, A\'olfgang met his friend Manzuoli and
Thomas Linley, the Knglish violinist of his own age ;
and in Holy Week they were at Rome, and they
heard the .Allegri MUerere. The story of the boy
memorizing this famous composition at a hearing,
writing it out, and correcting it after a second hear-
ing, is familiar to all. The feat provoked the wildest
curiosity to see him, and he was looked at supcr-
stiliously, just as, soon after, at Naples his virtuoso-
ship was attributed to a ring worn uiwn a finger of
the left hand. The concerts in these towns refilled
the drained imrse ; in 1 7 70, the [wpe ennobled the
boy, giving him the cross of the (Jolden Sjiiir ; and
he was received into the famous accademia Jilt,
motiUa of liologna. Meanwhile Wolfgang was ca
sidering the opera promised for Milan, and the
?6th of December, 1770, "Mitridate, re di I'onto'
was produced and received with unbounded enthu-
siasm. It was given twenty times, and the imprei
ario hastened to make a new contract with the iavi.
Here filarmonko, as the Milanese called hin
Father and son then visited Turin and Venice, and
about this time Wolfgang probably wrote the ora-
torio "lietulia liberata." In the spring of 1771
they returned to Salzburg, where they found a letter
from Count Firmian asking for a pastorale to cele-
brate the wedding of the Archduke Ferdinand with
the Princess Beatrice of Modena. And now the
boy fell in love with a woman ten years his elder.
She was betrothed to another, and her marriage and
Wolfgang's return to Milan in August ended the
affair. Although in the house where he lodged,
violinists, a singing teacher, and an oboe player plied
assiduously their business, Wolfgang finished the
promised composition, " Ascanio in Alba " in twelve
days. It was first heard October 17. Its success
was so great th:it Hasse's opera " Ruggiero " was
neglected; and the kindly veteran simply said,
" This young rascal will cause us all to be forgot-
ten."

About the time that Wolfgang returned home,
December, 1771, Sigismnnd, the Archbishop, died,
and Hieronymus ruled in his stead. He was a

WOLFGANG AMADF.US MOZART

»75

man of mean and tyrannical spiril, and his leputa-
tion had preceded him, so that when he arrived in
Salzburg he was received in gloomy silence. Never-
theless there were festivities, and Wolfgang wrote
"II sogno di Scipione," a composition unworthy
of his pen. It was in this same year, 1772, that
Dr. Charles Burney received a letter from a corre-
spondent, saying that the lad was still a pianoforte
virtuoso of great merit, but that as a composer he
had reached his limit ; and the writer then moral-
ized over musical precocities, comparing them to
premature fruits. Vet at this same epoch, Wolf-
gang wrote the celebrated Litany "de venerabile."
In November he visited Milan again to compose

and put on the stage the opera "Lucio Silla."
There were many obstacles before and even during
the representation ; but the success of the work was
unquestioned, I'his was the last opera written by
Wolfgang for Italy. The impresarios were willing
and eager; but the Archbishop was reluctant in
granting even ordinary favors to his servant. And
here is the end of the first period of Mozart's musi-

The next live years were passed without material
change in the circumstances of the family. There
was a trip to Vienna during the absence of Hieron-
ymus; and in December, 1774, Wolfgang, having
obtained pennission from the Archbishop, who did

miCH MOZART WAS BORN.-

9 GETREIDEGkSSE, SALZBURG, -

HIRO FLOOR.

not dare to offend the Elector of Bavaria, went to
Munich to write or to finish and bring out an opera-
buffa, " Iji finta giardiniera," which had been or-
dered by Maximilian III,, who in earlier years was
much interested in the child. The opera was pro-
duced with brilliant success, Jan, 13, 1775, and his
dear sister was present to share in the joy of the
composer. After Mozart's return to Salzburg, Hier-
onymus received a visit from the Archduke Maxi-
milian, the brother of Marie Antoinette. It no
doubt occurred to him that one of his servants, who
was paid, by the way, about $5,50 a month, was not

earning his wages; and so Mozart was requested to
write an opera, "U re Pastore," in honor of the
imperial guest. Thiswas performed inApril, 1775,
and this year and the next were years of great fer-
tility : music for the church, violin concertos, diver-
timenti, serenades, organ sonatas, etc. He worked
at the violin to please his father, who had a high
opinion of his ability in this direction ; and besides,
one of his duties was to play at the court, a duty
that he detested. In spite of all this work, these
days in Salzburg dragged along, sad and monoto-
nous. The social life of the town was slow and

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

stupid. Risbeck and other travelers have given us
curious details. "The sovereign," writes one,
" goes a-hunting and to church ; the nobles go to

went to Mai
of the Orel

MOZART'S FAVORITE CONCERT PIANO. AND SPINET OR SMALL CLAVICHORD,

church and hunt; the tra<lcspeo]ile eat, drink and
pray; the rest pray, drink and eat." No wonder
that he shot sarcastic arrows at his fellow townsmen.
He poked fun at a lover of his sister who gaped at
everything he saw in Munich, "so that one could
easily tell he had only seen Salzburg and Innsbruck."
He was never tired of telling of a Salzburgian who
complained that he could not judge Paris satisfac-
torily, " as the houses were too high and shut ofT the
horizon." " I dcltst Salzburg and everything that
is born in it. The tone and the manners of the peojde
are utterly unsup portable." He avoided society.
Sundays, to be sure, with a few of his own age, he
played at pea-shooting ; and he was fond of going
occasionally to balls. Nor did he associate will-
ingly with the niiisicians. His father hated the
Italians in the orchestra; and the (lerman musi-

fond of their cups that when Leopold
ihcim he was surprised at the sobriety
■stra. He spent most of his time
at home, fond of a canary
bird and a dog, teasing his
sister about her lovers, adoring
his father and mother. Finally
the father and son plucked up
courage and asked Hieronynius
for a leave of absence. It was
refused, with the remark that
he did not wish one of his ser-
vants going aboTit begging froni
town to town. With his father's
permission Wolfgang then sent a
letter asking for his dismission.
The vanity of the archbishop
was hurt, and he was furiously
angry ; " After all," he said, " it
is only one musician the less."
As Leopold could not leave the
town, he confided his son to the
protection of the mother, and
after a sorrowful leave-taking
the two started on their journey
Sept. 23, 1777. In the anxiety
of the inouieni, the father forgot
otu.c, jn,i -J, mirif to give the boy his blessing.
,,'ni,|„„,ji ,h, ' And now liegan the struggles

of his life, struggles that only
^i >nd ThL. Rfuu.w. ended with a premature death.

c..r-.or.ivi^. 'Y\ity went first to Munich, but

there was nothing there. The In-
lendant of the the.itre, a broker in music, would not
accept Wolfgang's pro[K}sition to furnish four operas
a year for a ridiculously small sum of money ;
and there was no other opening. Then a visit
was made to Wolfgang's uncle in .Augsburg.
Here he was kindly received. He became intimate
with Stein, the instrument-maker, and gave piano-
forte lessons to his daughter. He swore lasting
fidelity to his own cousin. When he left, there was
an exchange of jiortraits, and after«*ard the cousins
corresponded vigorously for a time. The next
stopping place was Mannheim, which was called
" the paradise of musicians." The orchestra fos-
tered by the musical Elector Karl Theodore was
probably without a rival in Europe. It was of un-
usual size. There were eleven first violins, eleven
second, four viol.is, four 'cellos, and four double

WOLFGANG AAfADF.US MOZART

277

basses ; two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets (instru-
ments rarely used in those days), four bassoons, two
horns, and trumpets and drums. The conductor
was Cannabich, a man of knowledge and of temper-
ament. The performances of this orchestra were
celebrated by all the critics of the time. Burney
compared the piano and forU to dilTerent colors
used by painters. Schubarl wrote that \.\\e forle
was a thunder-storm, the creuendo a cataract, the
diminuendo like the purling of a crystal stream, the
piano like a breath of spring. And Burney, again,
compared the orchestra to an army of generals
equally prepared to direct the campaign and to
fight. With these men Mozart became intimate.
Here also he knew the famous singers, Dorothea
Wendling, Franciska Danzi and Anton RaaK. Here
too he met the famous Abb^ Vogler, the teacher in
future years of Weber and Meyerbeer, whom he
disliked to the point of hatred. He sneered at his
theoretical books, he called him "charlatan" and
" humbug." A harsh verdict, and one not fully de-
served, although this Vogler was truly an eccentric
person, who boasted that he could make a composer
in three weeks and a singer in six months. Now,
certain members of the orchestra were engaged for
concerts in Paris, and they begged Mozart to go with
them, saying that Paris was the only town where
such a composer would be appreciated and couhl
make his fortune. At first he embraced their views
and tried to convince his father that the plan was
for the best. When e^■e^y^hing seemed favorable,
Leopold was astonished by the receipt of letters
from Wolfgang, saying that he had abandoned the
project, and at the same time giving ridiculous
reasons for the change. The truth was that the
boy was in love,

t'ridolin Weber, a man of good family and of
education, was the prompter and the copyist of the
Mannheim theatre. Poor as he was, he had culti-
vated the talents of his daughters. They were five
in number. The second, Aloysia, was fifteen, dis-
tinguished for her beauty and superb voice. She
and Mozart went together to the chateau of the
Princess of Orange, — and they loved each other.
She sang for the Princess and he played, and the
letters written by Wolfgang to his father show more
than a musician's interest in Aloysia, For her he
wrote a passionate aria, choosing Metastasio's lines
"Non so d'onde." This love making was stopped
by a sensible and kindly letter from Leopold, and

the boy and his mother set out for Paris. There
were tears, and presents. Aloysia gave her lover
two paiis of mittens which she had worked, and
Fridolin added a roll of music paper and a copy of
Moli^re. But Aloysia was piqued and never forgave
Wolfgang for his obedience to his father.

After a journey of nine days, mother and son
arrived in Paris, the 23d of March, 1778. Mozart,
sick at heart, looked upon the gay scenes with dis-
approving eyes. Even a month after his arrival,
he wrote his father that he was indifferent to alt
things and that nothing interested him. His room
was gloomy, and so small that he could not get a
pianoforte between the two cots. However he lost
no time in calling upon Grimm and the Mannheim
friends. He met Lcgros, the director of the " Con-

t MOZABT.
f'om ihg B'uc

cert spirituel," who gave him work, and N't
the celebrated ballet-master, and for him he
music for a ballet-pantomime called " Les
Riens," which was produced at the Opera house Ji

Petit:

278

FAMOUS COAf POSERS

11,1778. It was preceded by an opera of Piccini and
ascribed to Noverre. The " demoiselle Asselin *'
was praised by the journals, and nothing was said
about the music. The manuscript was discovered
by Victor Wilder, and the ballet was played during
the winter of 1872-73 at a concert at the Grand
Hotel, Paris. A few days after the first perform-
ance of this ballet, Mozart's " Paris " Symphony was
played in the hall of the Tuileries and with success.
A second symphony, played in September, has dis-
appeared.

Although in many ways this visit to Paris was a
sore disappointment to Mozart, and although he
wrote bitterly about the condition of music in the
French capital, his stay was of great and beneficial
influence upon his career. He heard the operas
of Gluck, Gr^try, Monsigny, Philidor and the
Italians who then disputed the supremacy with the
French. In after years he was found surrounded
by the works of Gluck and Gr^try, and when asked
if the study of Italian masters was not more profit-
able, he replied : " Yes, as regards melody ; but
not for tme and dramatic expression."

In .May, 1778, the mother of Mozart sickened,
and in July she died after much suflfering. She was
stout and subject to apoplectic attacks. As she
had no confidence in French physicians, she was
attended by an elderly German who was more patri-
otic than learned. He gave her rhubarb and wine,
against Mozart's wishes, and when (irimm's doctor
arrived it was too late for cure. She was buried
probably in the cemetery of the Innocents, which
was destroyed in 1 785.

The grief of the son was terrible, and the father
was uneasy. Grimm, who was now wholly interested
in Italian music sung by Italians, advised Leopold
to recall Wolfgang. The archbishop of Salzburg
held out inducements to father and son. The father
at last commanded the return, and in September,
1778, the philosopher (irimm accompanied the
young musician to the diligence and paid his way
to Strasburg. When Wolfgang finally saw that his
return was unavoidable, he complained bitterly.
" I have committed the greatest folly in the world.
With a little patience I should surely have won in
France a glorious reputation and a substantial in-
come."

Karl Theodore of Mannheim was now elector of
Bavaria. He took his court to Munich, and Aloysia
Weber sang in his theatre. Mozart stopped to see

her. She was slow to recognize him, and she did
not approve of the black buttons on his red coat,
the French fashion of mourning dress. But he
wrote a grand aria for her, and even after her mar-
riage to the play-actor Lange he confessed to his
father that he still cared for her.

It was in January, 1779, ^^^^ Mozart again saw
Salzburg, and for a year and a half he stayed there
working steadily. His illusions were gone; his
heart was sad. He loathed the town. "When I
play in Salzburg, or when any of my compositions
are performed, the audience might as well be chairs
or tables." But he found some relief in work, and
among the many compositions of this period is the
incidental music to " Konig Thamos," an Egyptian
drama. He also wrote an opera, " Zaide," which he
abandoned, and which was brought out in Frankfort
in 1866. In 1780 he received a commission from
Karl Theodore to com pose an opera for the Munich
carnival of the following year. The text was written
by an Italian priest named Varesco, and it told the
story of Idomeneus, king of Crete, a story that is
closely allied to the famous adventure of Jephtha.
In November Mozart went to Munich and he was
graciously received. His letters tell of the usual
differences that come up between composer and
singers, and his father gave him good advice : " You
know that there are an hundred ignorant people for
every ten true connoisseurs ; so do not forget what is
called popular, and tickle the long ears." The re-
hearsals gave great satisfaction and the Elector
remarked : *' No one would imagine that such great
things could come out of such a little head." The
opera was given January 29, 1781, and the Munich
News praised the scenery " of our well-known theat-
rical architect, the Herr Councillor Lorenz Quaglio."
It is not known how much Mozart received in pay-
ment.

The Archbishop had only given leave of absence
for six weeks ; but Mozart liked Munich and hated
to return. He wrote church and instrumental
pieces for the P^lector, and enjoyed the gay life,
until in March the Archbishop, who went to Vienna
after the death of the Empress, summoned him.
" And there his destiny w^as to be fulfilled."

The Archbishop was in execrable humor. Joseph
II. was not fond of priests, and he had greeted him
coolly. The wrath of Hieronymous was poured out
on the composer's head, for he had not forgotten or
forgiven Mozart's brusque departure, and he could

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

279

not enduie his independent spirit. He made him
eat with the servants. He would not allow him to
play the pianoforte at a concert given for the bene-
fit of the widows and orphans of musicians ; and
when he was forced into giving him permission, he
hated him the more. He ordered him to be pres-
ent every morning in an anlichamber to receive
orders ; and when Mozart rebelle<l, he forgot his
sacred calling and abused him indecently ; " black-
giiar<l, regular ass, idiot, tlirty rascal," were the
mildest of the reproaches. He showed him the
door, and Mozart, who had
kept his temper, said that
if His (Irace wished it, he
would be only too willing
to resign ; and he wrote his
father that his prospects in
Vienna were bright and that
he could not bear the
thought of returning to Salz-
burg and continual humilia-
tion. Hissuccessasapiano-
(orte player at the charitable
concert was such that many
desired to take lessons of
him, in spite of the price
demanded by him — six
ducats for twelve lessons.
"Thanks be to my pupils,
I have as much as I want :

' ALOYSIA WEBER, iislerlo I

but I will not have many jos. lunge. •

pupils ; I prefer few, and to f""" """ •"" 'oiumt =f n
be better [taid than other wo o^, ,„ hi^ ,h, 1,

teachers." He protests as

follows; "If I were offered two thousand florins
by the Archbishop, and only one thousand florins
in any other place, 1 should go to the other place ;
for instead of the other one thousand florins I
should enjoy health and contentment of mind."
But Leopold Mozart was not the man of former
days ; he was nervous and almost hyjmchondriacal.
He had heard that his son was living a dissipated
life ; and he understooil that he was neglecting his
religious duties ; it even grieved him to think that
Wolfgang ate meat on fast-days. Nor did he ap-
prove of the renewed intercourse with the Weber
family, for Aloysia was now married to I^nge, "a
jealous fool," and the mother and daughters were
in Vienna. In June, 1781, young Mozart determined
to procure from the Archbishop his dismission, as

he heard that the departure to Salzbui^ was near at
hand. He found in the antichamber Count Arco
ready to receive him. There were violent words,
and finally Arco kicked him out of the room. And
thus was Mozart set free.

It was summer, the nobility had gone to their
country seats, and there were few lessons and few
concerts. Mozart worked at pianoforte sonates and
dreamed of an opera. Josephine Aurnhammer,
remarkably fat, ugly, and an excellent pianist, fell
in love with him, and he was therefore obliged to
gratlually break off his ac-
quaintance with the " sen-
timental mastodon. " In
Hecember Clementi came
to Vienna, and he and
Mozart played before the
Emperor. Mozart was pro-
claimed victor, and the Em-
peror gave him fifty ducats
and saw in him the man
to assist him in founding
the lyric (ictman drama.
Stephanie, the inspector of
the opera, had provided the
text of " Die Entflihrung
aus dem Serail " ( The
Kscape from the Seraglio)
and Mo/art had already
written much of the music
tor ixd pimiar, before (.'lementi's visit. In

. Eph«m.Fid.F. d.' Liit..iiur a letter to his father he
t potirjii o( Monri. describcs the work of a day.

" At six o'clock my hair-
dresser awakes me ; by seven I am shaven, curled,
and dressed ; I compose until nine, and then give
lessons until one ; I then dine alone, unless I am in-
vited to some great house, in which case my dinner
is put off until two or three ; then I work again about
five or six, unless I go to a concert, in which case
I work after my return until one in the morning."
In July (the 15th or the i6th, for there is a dis-
pute concerning the date), 1 782, " The P^scape from
the Seraglio" was given. The house was crammed,
there was no end to the applause and cheering,
and performances followed one another in quick
succession. The German opera was established;
but the Emperor Joseph only said, " Too fine for
our ears, and too many notes." Mozart replied,
" Just as many notes as are necessary, your Majesty."

28o

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

It was in this opera, according to Carl Maria von
Weber, that Mozart arrived at the full maturity of
his genius.

The 4th of August, 1782, Mozart married Con-
stanze Weber, before the arrival of his father's for-
mal consent. He had been in love with her for
some months, and in December of the year before
he had written his father about her, "She is the
martyr of the family. . . , She looks after every-
thing in the house, and yet can never do right.
She is not ugly, but she is fat from being beautiful.
Her whole beauty consists in her dark eyes and
good figure. She is not intellectual, but she has com-
mon sense enough to fulfil her duties as a wife and
mDther. She is not inclined to extravagance; on

MOZART S WIFE,

the contrary, she is always badly dressed, for the
little her mother can do is done for the two others,
never for her, Tnie, she likes to be neat and
clean, but not smart; and almost all that a woman
needs she can make for herself ; she understands
housekeeping, has the best heart in the world — she
loves me and I love her — tell me if I could wish
for a better wife?" The father was sorely vexed.
He saw poverty and " standing brats." He disap-

proved of the Weber family. With reluctance he
finally sent the parental blessing. The wedding was
simple, and the supper was given by the Baroness
von Waldstadten, a famous pianist, and a woman ol
unsavory reputation. The income of the newly-
married couple was precarious and uncertain, and sc
it was until the divorce of death, but man and wife
were very happy. They were young — Mozart was
twenty-six and Constanze wasabout eighteen — and
they took no thought of the morrow. The morning
after the wedding the Abb6 Stadler called upon
them, and he was asked to breakfast. Constanze
in her marriage dress made the fire and prepared
the coffee, and with laughter they thus began their
married lite, without money and with a carelessness
that bordered on recklessness. To Constanze
even this pinched life was a relief, for she had long
suffered from the intolerance of a drunken mother.
Mozart's love for his wife was town talk. Kelly, the
?:nglish tenor, in later years, spoke of " the passion-
ate love " of the composer. He told her everj-
ihing, even his faults and sins, and she was ever
tender and faithful. She was not unmusical ; in
fact she playe<l and sang, and was especially fon<l
of fugues. She told him stories while he worked.
She cut his meat for him at table. As she was
not robust, he, in turn, was most careful of her
health, and often denied himself that she might be
more comfortable. There are tierman romances in
existence that deal with alleged love episodes in the
life of Mozart, and in which he is represented as
often unfaithful to his wife, (irave historians have
not thought it an unworthy task to examine the cur-
rent scandals of his life in Vienna. It is tnie that
the manners and customs of the Viennese were free
and easy. It was an age of gallantry. It is not
improbable that he was exposed to many tempta-
tions. At the same time the looseness of his hfe
was grossly exaggerated, and specific charges that
were made are now known to be legends. Hum-
mel, who lived in Mozart's house as a pupil, wrote
in 1831 : "I declare it to be untrue that Mozart
abandoned himself to excess, except on those rare
occasions when he was enticed by Schikaneder."

Discouraged by the parsimony of the Emperor,
failing in his endeavor to become the teacher of the
I'rincess Elizabeth, and believing himself to be un-
appreciated, Mozart determined to leave Vienna
and turned towards France and England. At this
lime he was chiefly known in Vienna as a. pianoforte

THE MOZART FAMILY.
C. de Carmontelle, 6e\. Delafosse, Sculp. 1764.

282

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

player. It was not until the appearance of the
" Magic Flute " that he was recognized there as a
great operatic composer^ and then it was too late.
The father, however, opposed the plans of his son,
and he even wrote to the Baroness von Waldstadten
urging her to reason with Wolfgang, and adding,
" What is there to prevent his having a prosperous
career in Vienna, if only he has a little patience?"
And so Mozart stayed in Vienna. He gave lessons,
which were apt to be of a desultory nature. He
gave concerts in the Augarten which was frequented
by the fashionable people. He gave concerts in
the theatre and in different halls, and his own music
was performed with great success. His concertos
and his playing were cheered to the echo by the
Emperor and the nobility. His old love Aloysia
sang at one of these concerts, and Oluck sat in a
box and applauded. It is not true that at this time
Mozart was unappreciated by the public or that the
public was not willing to pay money for the pleasure
of hearing him. As a pianoforte player he was sur-
feited with applause. His subscription concerts
were crowded. At one he received four hundred
and fifty ducats ; at two concerts in Prague in 1 786
he received one thousand florins. He played reg-
ularly in private concerts given by members of the
nobility, and it was the custom of the Viennese aris-
tocracy to reward distinguished artists liberally.
On the other hand he made but little by the publica-
tion of his compositions. Nor did he fare better in
his dealings with theatrical managers. The usual
payment in Vienna for an opera was one hundred
ducats. Upon the whole, Mozart was probably
as well treated from a pecuniary point of view
as the majority of the musicians of his time. He
had no head for business, and he was constantly in
want of money. A few months after his marriage
he was threatened with an action for non-payment
of a bill. He was constantly borrowing small sums
from Peter to pay Paul. His letters abound in
proofs of his embarrassments. At different times he
tried plans of reform; from March, 1784, until
February, 1785, he kept an account book, and the
entries were neatly written. But Constanze was not
the housewife praised by King Lemuel.

A son was born in 1783, who died in the same
year, and in the summer a visit was paid to Salz-
burg. A mass, which Mozart had vowed in his
heart before his marriage if he succeeded in taking
Constanze there as his wife, was performed ; he

wrote duets for violin and viola to help Michael
Haydn, who was prevented by sickness from satisfy-
ing the Archbishop's command ; he sketched a part
of an opera, " L'Oca del Cairo." In one way the
visit was a disappointment. Neither Leopold nor
Marianna was really fond of Constanze, and Mozart
was displeased because none of the trinkets that had
been given him in his youth were offered to his
wife. He returned to Vienna in October. In 1785
the father returned the visit. He wept for joy at
hearing Wolfgang play the pianoforte concerto com-
posed for the blind pianist, Marie Paradies ; he
heard string quartets of his son played by Haydn,
Dittersdorf, Wolfgang and Vanhall ; and Haydn
said to him, " I assure you solemnly and as an hon-
est man, that I consider your son to be the greatest
composer of whom I have ever heard." Influenced
by his son he became a Freemason. There were
secret associations, brotherhoods of all descriptions,
more or less closely allied to Freemasonry, through-
out Germany during the latter half of the eighteenth
century. Many wished to join together in fighting
for liberty of conscience and independence of
thought ; and, as Herder, Wieland, Goethe, they
saw in Freemasonry " a means of attaining their
highest endeavors after universal good." In Vienna
nearly all the distinguished leaders of thought were
Freemasons ; the lodges were fashionable, and in
1785 the Emperor Joseph placed them under the
protection of the state, although he first reduced
the number. It is not surprising that Mozart, with
his love for humanity, his warm sympathies for all
that is good and noble, should enter eagerly into
masonic ties and duties. He contemplated the
founding of a secret society of his own. His lodge
was the oldest in Vienna, "Zur gekronten Hoff-
nung," and for this lodge he wrote vocal and instru-
mental works, one of which, the " Trauermusik ** is
of great beauty and originality.

In 1784 the (German opera in Vienna was almost
extinct. Aloysia I^nge chose Mozart's " Escape
from the Seraglio" for her benefit, and the com-
poser directed it ; Gluck's " Pilgrimme von Mekka"
was given, as well as Benda's melo-dramas. The
next year it was proposed to reinstate German
opera in competition with the Italian, and the
scheme was carried out, but the performances were
not equal to those of the Italian opera, and Mozart
was not pitted by the Emperor as a native com-
poser against the foreigner Salieri. For a festival in

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

2%Z

1786 dramatic performances were ordered in Ital-
ian and German, and Mozart wrote the music for
"Der Schauspieldirector " (The Theatre Director),
while Salieri was more fortunate in his text. The
Italian operas were popular with the court and the
people, and the belter singers went over to the Italian
side. Paesiello and Sarti were welcomed heartily in
Vienna, and their operas received the patronage of the
Emperor. Mozart's prospects as an operatic com-
poser were gloomy, until in 1785 he was seriously
benefited by his acquaintance with Ixirenzo da Ponte,
abb^, poet, and rake. This singular man was ap-
pointed theatrical poet by Joseph II. through the

influence of Salieri. He quarreled with his benefac-
tor, who engaged a rival as his librettist. Da Ponte
looked about for a composer with whom he could
join against his enemies, and he entered into negotia-
tions wilh Mozart. Beaumarchais' comedy, " Le
Mariage de Figaro," had finally been put on the
stage of the Theatre- Franca is in April, 1784 ; it was
exciting popular attention ; and Mozart wished an
adaptation for his music. The adaptation would be
an easy task, but the comedy itself was not allowed
in the Vienna Theatre. The poet was in the good
graces of the Kmperor and he confided the plan to
him. Joseph admitted that Mozart was a good in-

strumental composer, said that his opera did not
amount to much, called Mozart to him, heard por-
tions of the work, and ordered that it should be put
into rehearsal immediately. If we believe the ac-
count given by Da Ponte, the whole opera was fin-
nished in six weeks. There was a strong cabal, with
Salieri at the head, against the production, but it
was brought out May ist and with overwhelming
success. Michael Kelly, who sang the parts of
Baiilio and Don Curzio, gives interesting accounts
of the rehearsals and the performance in his " Rem-
iniscences." "Ne\'erwas anything more complete
than the triumph of Mozart." At the second per-
formance five pieces were repeated : at the third.

seven; "one little duet had lo be sung three times,"
we learn from a letter of Leopold Mozart. In
November Martin's " t'osa Rara " pleased " the
fickle public " mightily, and during 1787 and 1788
" Figaro " was not given. It was first performed
in Berlin, Sept. 14, 1790: the critics praised it:
the people preferred Martin and Dittersdorf. It
was heard later in all the great towns of Europe
(Paris, 1793; Ixindon, 1812, with Catalan! as
Susanna ) ; in Prague it was heard at once and
with the greatest success, and this led to " Don

The success of " Figaro " was not of material
benefit to Mozart in Vienna. He fretted at the

284

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

necessity of teaching; he envied Gyrowetz, who
went to Italy. In 1786, a third child was born to
him, Leopold, who died in the spring of the next
year. His English friends urged him to go to
England. He thought seriously of doing this, when
he received one day a letter from the orchestra of
Prague, to which the leading connoisseurs and ama-
teurs had added their names, begging him to visit
the town and see for himself the enormous success
of " Figaro." Bohemia was a musical country, and
at the capital music was cultivated passionately.
There was an excellent school where pupils of talent
were educated by the support of patrons. The mem-
bers of the nobility had their orchestras, and some
demanded that their servants should be musicians.
" Figaro " was played by the Bondini Italian com-
pany throughout the winter of 1786-7, and the
public enthusiasm was unbounded. The opera was
turned into chamber music. It was arranged for
all combinations of instruments. It was sung in
the streets ; it was whistled at street corners.
Mozart with his wife arrived in Prague in January,
1787, and they were entertained by Count Thun.
His visit was one of unalloyed happiness. He saw
the beauties of Prague " hopping about to the music
of * Figaro ' turned into waltzes and country
dances. The peo])le talked of nothing but ' Fi-
garo.* " In the theatre he was welcomed with up-
roarious applause. His two concerts were in every
vvav successful. And here he amused himself,
doing little work, until Bondini made a contract
with him by which Mozart agreed to give him an
opera for the next season for one hundred ducats.
Naturally he thought at once of Da Ponte, and
Da Ponte suggested the legend of Don Juan Teno-
rio y Salazar, Lord of Albarren and Count of Mara-
iia. This story had already attracted the attention
of mask- makers and comedy- writers innumerable,
among them Moliere, Shadwell, (loldoni ; and
Cluck and Righini, Tritto and Cazzaniga had set
it to music, as ballet, dratnma traf^icomico^ or opera
buffa. Da Ponte had made his fortune by the text
of " Figaro," and when he began the libretto for
Mozart he was also at work on texts for Martin
and Salieri. He went from one story to the other,
with snuff-box and l)ottle of tokay before him, and
the pretty daughter of his hostess by his side.
** Don Giovanni " and Martin's " L'Arbore di Diana"
were finished in sixty-three days. We know little
or nothing of Mozart's methods in writing the music

of the work. His thematic catalogue shows that
from March till September few other important
works were written, and the greatest of these are
the string quintets in C major and G minor. His
father died in May, and Mozart's grief may well be
imagined. "Next to God is papa" showed the
depth of his love. In September Mozart took his
wife and boy to Prague. He worked in the vine-
yard of his old friend Duschek, and his friends
talked or played at bowls. German essayists and
novelists invented many stories, which reflect with
discredit upon Mozart's morality during this visit to
Prague, and these stories, without real foundation,
were for a long time accepted as facts. He is said,
for instance, to have been violently in love with the
women who sang at the theatre ; and continual in-
toxication is the mildest charge brought against
him. Teresa Saporiti, the " Donna Anna," said
when she first saw him, " This illustrious man has
a most insignificant fare," and yet their amorous
adventures were long taken for granted. Nor
do we know whether the many traditions are only
traditions ; such as his writing " La ci iiarem " five
times before he < ould satisfy the singers ; Bassi's
anger, and other tales. The overture was unwrit-
ten the very evening before the day of ])erform-
ance. His wife mixed punch for him and told
him stories, " Cinderella," " Aladdin " and tales of
wonder and enchantment. Little by little, he grew
sleepy as he worked. The head would droop
in spite of the efforts of Scheherazade. At last
he rested on the sofa, and at five o'clock Con-
stanze aroused him. The copyist came at seven :
and the orchestra played the overture at sight
from wet sheets when October 29, 1787, "Don
Giovanni " was first heard by an enthusiastic public.
The oi)era was an unqualified success. Mozart
stayed in Prague long enough to write a concert aria
for Madame Duschek, although she was obliged to
lock him in a summer-house to get it ; shortly after
his return to Vienna Ciluck died, and December 7th
he was appointed Chamber Musician by Joseph.
"Don (riovanni" was not given in Vienna until
May 7, 1788, and it was a failure. The Emperor
is reported to have said, " The opera is divine, per-
haps even more beautiful than ' Figaro,' but it will
try the teeth of my Viennese." And Mozart said,
" We will give them time to chew it." It was first
given in Berlin, Dec. 20, 1790; Paris, 1805, in a
wretched version; London, in April, 181 7. In 1825

BRONZE STATUE OF MOZART, IN THE LUXEMBOURG.
By the Sculptor Barrios.

286

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Garcia, with his daughters, was in New York ; he
met Da Ponte there, and at the suggestion of the
latter ** Don Giovanni *' was given. After it had
made its way in Germany, it was regarded as his
masterpiece, and Mozart is reported to have said
that he wrote it not at all for Vienna, a little for
Prague, but mostly for himself and friends.

But the opera did not help him pecuniarily. He
was in constant need of money. He was not idle,
however ; the great symphonies in E-flat major, G
minor and C major were written in the summer
months of 1788; he prepared the music for the
masked balls ; he wrote compositions for the pleas-
ure of his pupils ; and, at the instigation of Van
Swieten, who was an enthusiastic admirer of Handel,
he prepared " Acis and Galatea," " The Messiah,"
"Ode for St. Cecilia's Day," and "Alexander's Feast"
for performance by strengthening the instrumenta-
tion. He also directed them (i 788-1 790). In
1789 he was invited by Prince Lichnowsky to visit
him in Berlin ; he gladly accepted the invitation,
thinking he might better his condition. They
stopped at Prague ; at Dresden, where he played
before the Court, and at Leipsic, where he played
the organ and heard a Bach motett. At Potsdam
Mozart was presented to the King, P'rederick Wil-
liam n., who was an enlightened patron of music.
He played upon the 'cello and was a man of very
catholic taste. The opera stage was free to Italian,
French and German composers. The orchestra in
which the king often played at rehearsals was
directed by Duport ; the opera by Reichardt, the
musician and journalist. Neither of these men
looked upon Mozart's appearance in Berlin with
favor, and they were none the sweeter to him when
he replied to the King's question concerning the
performances of the orchestra : " It contains the
best virtuosos, but if the gentlemen would play
together, it would be an improvement." The King
offered him the position of Kapellmeister, at a
salary of three thousand thalers ; but Mozart would
not leave his Emperor. He made a short visit to
Leipsic for a benefit concert which hardly paid the
expenses of the journey. On his return to Berlin
he heard his " Seraglio." In a certain passage,
the second violins played D sharp instead of D,
and Mozart cried out angrily, "Damn it, play D,
will you ? " And here it is reported that he became
enamored of Henriette Baranius, a singer of re-
markable beauty. The boy Hummel, his pupil.

gave a concert in Berlin, and was overjoyed to see
him in the audience. Just before Mozart's depart-
ure in May, the King sent him one hundred fried-
richsdor, and wished that he would write quartets
for him. Constanze received a letter in which her
husband said that she must be glad to see him, not
the money he brought.

In June, 1789, Mozart worked at the quartets
promised to the King. He furnished the one in I)
major in a month, and received a gold snuff-box
with one hundred friedrichsdor. But he was poor,
in debt, his wife was often sick, and he wrote in
July that he was most unhappy. In December he
worked busily on an opera, " Cosi fan tutte," which
the Emperor had requested, and Jan. 26, 1780, it
was produced with success, although it was not
often given. Joseph II. died the 20th of February,
and Leopold II. reigned in his stead. Mozart
could expect but little of him, and when King
Ferdinand of Naples visited Vienna in September,
the greatest virtuoso of the town was not asked to
play before him, although the royal visitor was pas-
sionately fond of music. Meanwhile his expenses
were increasing, his pupils falling off. In Septem-
ber he pawned his silver plate to pay the passage,
and went to Frankfort to attend the coronation of
the Emperor. He gave a concert there, and
played two of his own concertos. He went to
Mayence, where he is said to have had a love-scrape,
then to Munich, where at the request of the Elector
he played before the King of Naples. Soon after
his return to Vienna he said good-bye for ever to
his dear friend Haydn, who went with Salomon to
England. He was sore distressed. The position
of second Kapellmeister was refused him, and the
position of assistant to Hoffmann, the cathedral
Kapellmeister, which was granted by the magis-
trates at his request, " without pay for the present,"
depended upon the death of Hoffman, who out-
lived him. In the midst of his troubles he fell in
with strange company, and among his associates
was Emanuel Johann Schikaneder, a wandering
theatre director, poet, composer, and play-actor.
Restless, a bore, vain, improvident, and yet shrewd,
he was not without good qualities that had before
this won him the friendship of Mozart. In 1791
he was sorely embarrassed. He was the director
of the Auf der Wieden, a little theatre, no better
than a booth, where comic operas were played and
sung. On the verge of failure, he had one thing

WOLFGANG AhfADEUS MOZART.

287

to console him, — a fairy drama which he had made
out of " Lulu, or the Enchanted Flute," a story by
Wieland. He asked Moiait to write the mtisic for
it ; and Mozart, pleased with the scenario, accepted,
and said, " If I do not bring you out of yoiir
trouble, and if the work is not successful, you
must not blame me ; for I have never written magic
music." Schikaneder knew the ease with which
Mozart wrote ; and he also knew that it was neces-
sary to keep watch over him, that he might be
ready at the appointed time. As Mozart's wife was
then in Baden, the director found the composer
alone, and he put him in a little pavilion, which was

in the midst of a garden near his theatre. And in
this pavilion and in a room of the casino of Joseph-
dorf the music of " The Magic Flute " was writien,
Mozart was in a melancholy mood when he began
his task, but Schikaneder drove away his doleful
dumps by surrounding him with the gay members
of the company. There was merry eating, there was
chnking of glasses, there was the laughter of women.
Here is the origin of many of the exaggerated
stories concerning Mozart's dissipated habits. Ii was
long believed that he was then inspired by the melt-
ing eyes of the actress Gerl ; a story that probably
rests on no better foundation than the Mrs. Hof-

•MZ. OF THE SEVERAL HOUSES I

H MOZART LIVED.

daeinmel tragedy, which even Jahn thought worthy
of his attention. "The Magic Flute" was given
Sep. 30, at the Auf der Wieden theatre, 'ITie com-
poser led the first two performances. The opera at
first disappointed the expectations of the hearers,
and Mozart was cut to the quick. The opera soon
became the fashion, thanks to Schikaneder's ob-
stinacy, so that the two hundredth representation
was celebrated in Vienna in October, 1795. It was
translated into Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Polish,
Italian, It was given in Paris in 1801, under the
name of " The Mysteries of Isis" ; it was first heard
in I^ndon in 181 r, in Italian.

One evening in July a strange man called on
Mozart with a strange errand. He was tall, gaunt.

face, solemn in demeanor : a fantastic
apparition, dressed completely in grey, or, as some
affirm in black; such a character as might have
appeared to Hoffinann when in the black and dark
night, surrounded by spirits of his own conjuring,
he wrote wild tales. The visitor gravely handed
him an anonymous letter sealed in black, which
begged him to write a Requiem as soon as possible,
and asked the price. Mozart named 50 ducats,
some say 100; the visitor paid the sum, and as
Mozart did not name the time for the completion
of the work, the unknown man left him, saying,
" I shall return, when it is time." The mystery
has been solved. The stranger was Leutgeb, the
steward of Count Franz von Walsegg of Stuppach ;

288

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the Count was in the habit of ordering thus mysteri-
ously compositions from different musicians ; he
would copy them and have them performed as
his own ; the requiem was ordered in memory of his
late wife ; and it was sung as Walsegg's work under
his direction Dec. 14, 1793. But Mozart knew
nothing of the patron or the steward, and he grew
superstitious. In the middle of August he received
a commission to write a festival opera for the cele-
bration of the coronation of Leopold II. as King of
r>ohemia in Prague. The subject was Metasta-
sio's " Clemenza di Tito." The music was written
hurriedly and first performed Sept. 6. It was not
successful; the P^mpress is said to have spoken
bitterly concerning the porcheria of German
music. Just as he was stepping into the car-
riage for his journey to Prague, the thin and hag-
gard man suddenly appeared and asked him what
would become of the Reciuiem. Mozart made his
excuses. "When will you be ready?" said Leut-
geb. " I swear that I shall work on it unceasingly
when I return." " Good," said the solemn
stranger, " I rely on your promise." And as soon
as the ** Magic Flute" was completed and performed
Mozart worked eagerly on the Requiem. He
posti)oned his lessons, giving as an excuse that he
had a work on hand which lay very near his heart,
and until it was finished he could think of nothing
else. He had become subject to fainting fits, and in
Prague he was not at all well. He became gloomy
and superstitious. He thought some one had pois-
oned him, and indeed, for a long time it was be-
lieved foolishly by some that Salieri had hastened
his death. He told Constanze that he was writing
the Requiem for himself. There was a slight im-
provement for a time, and Mozart worked on the
Requiem, which had been taken away from him,
and finished a Masonic cantata. The last of
November his feet and hands began to swell : he
vomited violently ; and he was melancholy in mind.
The 28th his condition was critical and his doctor
consulted with the chief physician at the hospital.
The " Magic Flute" was now successful; he was cer-
tain of an annual income of one thousand florins
contributed by some of the Hungarian nobility ; and
of a larger sum each year from Amsterdam in re-
turn for the production of a few compositions exclu-
sively for the subscribers ; but it was too late. The
day before his death he said to Constanze, " I
should like to have heard my ' Magic Flute' once

more," and he hummed feebly the bird-catcher's
song. In the afternoon he had the Requiem brought
to his bed, and he sang the alto part. At the first
measures of the " Lacrimosa," he wept violently and
laid the score aside. Mrs. Haible came in the
evening and ^[ozart said, " I am glad you are here ;
stay with me to-night, and see me die." She tried
to reason with him, and he answered. •' I have
the flavor of death on my tongue : I taste death.
Who will support my dearest Constanze if you do
not stay with her? " The story of his ending as told
by Otto Jahn is most pathetic. Mrs. Haible went
to the priests of St. Peter's and begged that one
might be sent to Mozart, as if by chance. They re-
fused for a long time, and it was with diflficulty she
I)ersuaded " these clerical barbarians" to grant her
re(iuest. When she returned, she found Siissmayer
at Mozart's bedside, in earnest conversation over the
Recjuiem. "Did I not say that I was writing the
Requiem for myself ?" said he looking at it through
his tears. " And he was so convinced of his ap-
proaching death that he enjoined his wife to inform
Albrechtsberger of it before it became generally
known, in order that he might secure Mozart's
place at the Stephanskirche, which belonged to him
by every right." The physician finally came ; he
was found in the theatre, where he waited until
the curtain fell. He saw there was no hope ; cold
bandages were applied to the head ; and then came
delirium and unconsciousness. Mozart was busy with
his Requiem. He blew out his cheeks to imitate
the trumpets and the dnims. About midnight he
raised himself, opened his eyes wide, then seemed
to fall asleep. He died at one o'clock, Dec. 5th.
There was but little money in the house. The
funeral expenses (third-class) amounted to 8 fl., Tf^
kr., and there was an extra charge of three florins
for the hearse. In the afternoon of the 6th the
body was blessed. Inhere was a fierce storm raging,
and no one accompanied the body to the grave.
The body was put into a common vault, which was
dug up about every ten years. No stone was put
above his resting-place, and no man knows his
grave. Constanze was left with two children and
about sixty florins ready money. The outstanding
accounts and personal property hardly amounted
to five hundred florins. There were debts to
be paid. She gave a concert, and with the assist-
ance of the Emperor the proceeds were suffi-
cient to pay them. In 1809 she married George

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

389

Nissen and was comfortable until 1842, the year
of her death. Karl, the elder son of Mozart, pia-
nist-merchant, died in Milan in a subordinate offi-
cial position. Wolfgang, bom July 26, 1791, ap-
peared in public in 1805; he afterward was a
musical director and composer in Lemberg and
Vienna; he died in Carlsbad in 1844. A statue
was erected to Mozart in Salzburg in 1842, and one
was raised in Vienna in 1859, The hundredth
anniversary of his birth was celebrated throughout
Germany, and that of his death throughout the
world.

The face of Mozart has been idealized. The
authentic portraits coincide with the descriptions

of his contemporaries. He was small, thin, and
pale ; with a large head and a large nose ; eyes well
shaped, but short-sighted, although he never wore
spectacles ; he had plenty of fine hair, of which he
was proud, and he was vain of his hands and feel ;
he dressed carefully and elegantly, and was fond of
jewelry. He rode horseback, and look great pleas-
ure in playing billiards, bowls, and in dancing. He
was very fond of punch, of which beverage Kelly
saw him lake "copious draughts." His prevailing
characteristics were amiability, generosity, and a
warm appreciation of all that was good and noble
in music or mankind. His generosity was strikingly
shown when, in the darkest hours of need, he of-

fered to take care of Mariana uniil her betrothed
had found the position necessary for marriage. It
was no doubt oflen abused by such scapegraces as
Stadler and Schikaneder. He poured out his affec-
tion on the members of his household. He asso-
ciated freely, and apparently with equal enjoyment,
with aristocrats, learned men, members of the or-
chestra, singers, and loungers in the taverns. He
was full of fun, and he dearly loved a joke ; he de-
lighted in doggerel rhymes. His intercourse with
musicians was as a rule friendly, and he seldom
spoke ill of his neighbors. Oluck appreciated him
as much as Salieri envied him, but he and Mozart
were never intimate, although they dined together

and paid each other compliments. Kozeluch and
other snail fry hated him, and they also hated
Haydn. His relations with Paisiello, Sarti and
Martin were most friendly ; and nothing perhaps
illustrates more clearly the sweetness of Mozart's
nature than his immortalizing a theme from Mar-
tin's " Cosa rara," an opera which had prevailed
against his " Figaro," by introducing it in the second
finale of "Don Giovanni." He praised Pleyel,
sympathized with Gyrowetz, foresaw the greatness
of Beethoven, mourned the death of I.inley, and
loved Haydn.

In his youth he showed a fondness for arithmetic,
and in later years he was a ready reckoner. He

290

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

had an unmistakable talent for the languages ; he
understood the French, English, and Italian tongues.
He was acquainted with Latin; he had read the
works of excellent authors ; he even wrote poetry,
bul as a manner of jesting. He was not without
knowledge of history. He drew with skill. His
letters are full of charm, and Nissen regretted that
a man who used his pen so cleverly had not written
concerning his art. The reply to this is simple,
namely, that Mozart was too busy in making music
to write about it. This most honest and amiable
of men loved animals, and birds were particularly
dear to him.

Whatever his religious convictions may have been
after he reached man's estate, he wrote to his father,
on hearing of his illness, as follows: "As death,
strictly speaking, is the true end and aim of oui
lives, I have for the last two years made myself so
well acquainted with this true, best friend of man-
kind, that his image no longer terrifies, but calms
and consoles me. And I thank God for giving me
the opportunity of learning to look upon death as
the key that unlocks the gate of true bliss." The
man as seen in his life and letters was simple, true,
averse to flattery and sycophancy, generous, and
eminently lovable.

^-^ I^^A- •'

"-^^

X

jL~ve/ y^-^'-iyy^-

Fac simile of a letter from Mozart to his publis^ier, Hofmeister,

MONUMENT TO MOZART IN VIENNA CEMETERY

Leopold Mozart brouyhl his children \Viilf;;ang (aH«iJ H) anJ Maria Anna (,aijt-il 13), in April, 17G4, to Lunilun, uii a
concert tout. The e\hiliilion of these womier-cliiltlren lastL-d till July, I 765. Befiirc liaviii);, tlie party visiled Ihe British Mii-
Seiim, which was upencil to the puhlic six years before (on the I51h January, 17511). On Ihis occasion WdfHanj; was requcsteii
to leave the Institution some manuscripts of his com posi lions, Mo/arl complieil, ami among the manuscripta left was thi;., his
lirst effort In Choral -uri ting, and the only one composed on an l^iij;liih lek). I'he father received the following ack nowleilg-

Sir t — I am ordered hy the StandinK Committee of the Trustees of the British Mutcum, to signify to You, tb« they
have received Ihe present of Ihe Musical perloriiiaiices of Your very ingenious Son, which Vou were pleased lately to make
Them, and to return You their Thanks for the same.

M. Mai.v,
British Museum, Saritary.

July 19, 1765,

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

393

In considering the compositions of this man, who
died before he was thirty-six, and spent much time
in travel, the most superficial investigator must be
struck by the mere number. There are zo dramatic
works ; 2 oratorios, a funeral hymn, 3 cantatas, and
the re instrumentation of 4 oratorios by Handel; 66
vocal pieces with orchestral accompaniments; 23
canons and a collection of songs ; 48 pieces for the
church, and lo masses, including the Requiem,
which however was probably completed by Sliss-
mayer; 12 pianoforte sonatas and fantasias; 17
organ sonatas, 16 variations for bugle and piano-
forte, 23 little pieces, and 1 1 sonatas and pieces for
four hands on two pianofortes ;
45 sonatas for violin and piano-
forte ; 8 trios, 2 quartets and 1
quintette for pianoforte and
strings ; for strings alone there
are 3 duos, 3 trios, 29 quar-
tets, 8 quintets; then there
are 2 quartets with flute, i with
oboe, I quintet with horn; 10
concertos for violin, 1 for two
violins, r for violin and viola)
z8 for the pianoforte, r for two
pianofortes, r for three piano-
fortes, r for bassoon, i for
oboe, 4 for flute and 1 for flute
and harp, 5 for horn, i for
clarinet, — in all 55; in dance
music there is one gavotte, 39
contradances, 56 waltzes, 96
minuets, a pantomime and a

ballet; there are 27 different last portra

pieces of instrumental musir, p^him b, t»> broih^r-i'^
as marches, adagios, etc., 33 *""'' " '"'"""'■

divertissements, serenades or
cassations, all pieces of long breath, including
each from 10 to 12 movements; there are 49
symphonies. These authentic works, accepted by
Kochel, number in all 769 com ])osit ions. Then
when one reflects on the quality of the music and
its artistic value, when one finds in nearly each work
the traces at least of genius, and reflects that a third
of them are masterpieces, he begins to realize the
might of the man. He was naturally the most spon-
taneous of musicians, and in this respect — in pure
creation — without doubt the greatest of them all.
Rarely are seen such fecundity and such versatility.
Unlike Handel, when a work was finished, it was

finished ; it did not enter again into another com-
position. The charge of pbgiarism was never
brought against him except in one instance : the
religious march in " Idomeneus " was traced by a
friend to the march in Gluck's "Alceste." He
wrote as though he could not help it. Jumping
from the bed, he ran to the pianoforte. The barber
found him restless. His mind was preoccupied at
t,ible. In travel, the landscape, the very motion of
the carriage stimulated his imagination. He was
constantly jotting down his thoughts on scraps of
paper. Much of his greatest music was composed,
even in detail, in his head before he took his pen.
The conversation of his friends,
noises in the house or street
did not distract him. His
facility of concentration was
incredibly developed, and
Constanze said that he wrote
his scores as though he were
writing a letter. And so his
inspiration, as shown in the
hasty composition of the "Don
Giovanni " overture, reminded
Victor Wilder of the saying
of the first Najwleon ; " Inspir-
ation is only the instantaneous
solution of a long meditated
problem."

In examining the works
themselves, many of them must
be passed over without notice.
Some were written for special
T OF MOZART. occasions ; some, for combina-

ii- Lmgo :« r7si. Th» t ions of instruments, that no
^'" ""'""■"" longer, or rarely, are heard in

concert- halls ; and it would be
idle to assert that all his works are equally worthy of
respect. 'I"he complete collection of the writings of
even such a genius as Voltaire contains dreary pages
and frivolous opinions. l.et us examine more partic-
ularly his pianoforte music, the chamber music, such
as the string quartets and quintets ; the symphonies ;
the religious music ; and the operas, looking at the
works themselves, comparing them with that which
was contemporaneous, and observing the influence
on the musicians that followed him. The songs, with
the exception of the "Veilchen" (The Violet), were
set to meaningless words and are not to be ranked
with the best of his compositions ; but this same

294

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

" Violet " in its lyrical-dramatic setting pointed the
way to the after glory of the German song as seen in
Schubert, Schumann and Franz. And nearly all of
the concert-arias written for special singers and for
special use seem to-day a little antiquated, and cast
in the old and traditional mould. As Mozart first
was known as a pianoforte player, let us first look at
his writings for that instrument. (I use the term
pianoforte throughout this article, following the ex-
ample of Rubinstein, who, in his " Conversation on
Music " (1892), speaks of compositions for Clavecin,
Clavichord, Clavi-cymbal, Virginal, Spinett, etc., " as
written for pianoforte, as to-day we can only perform
them on this instrument.")

There is no doubt but that Mozart was the greatest
pianoforte player of his time. The testimony in his
favor is overwhelming. His hands were small and
well-shaped, and some of his hearers wondered that
he could do so much with them. He had elaborated
an admirable system of fingering, which he owed to
the careful study of Bach, whose pianoforte music
he had played from a very early age. He regarded
good fingering as the basis of expressive playing.
He insisted that the player should have "a quiet,
steady hand," and that the passages should " flow like
oil" ; he therefore objected to all bravura feats that
might be detrimental to ** the natural ease and
flexibility." He was vexed by exaggerations of
tempos, by over- rapidity of execution, by senti-
mental rubatos. He demanded correctness, " ease
and certainty, delicacy and good taste, and above
all the power of breathing life and emotion into the
music and of so expressing its meaning as to place
the performer for the moment on a level with the
creator of the work before him." It is hard for
men of another generation to gain an idea of the
qualities of the virtuosoship of the pianist that
moved and thrilled the audiences of his time. We
must take the word of his hearers. Clementi de-
clared that he never heard any one play so in-
tellectually and gracefully as Mozart. Rochlitz
waxed enthusiastic over the brilliancy and " the
heart-melting tenderness of his execution ; " Ditters-
dorf praised the union of art and taste ; and Haydn,
with tears in his eyes, could not forget his playing,
because it came from the heart. Unfortunately we
ran not estimate his virtues as a player from his
works, for all that heard him agree that his im-
provising was the crowning glory of his art. Varia-
tions on a well-known theme were in fashion, and

the variations were often improvised. The pub-
lished variations of Mozart are light and pleasing :
he did not care for them, and they were written, no
doubt, for the entertainment of his pupils or his
friends. Of the three rondos, the one in A minor
(1787) is very original and of exquisite beauty, and
is a favorite to-day in concert-halls. The fantasia in
C minor (1785) is an important work. Five move-*
ments, in various keys and tempos are bound
together, and though each is in a measure in-
dependent, the sections seem to follow each other
inevitably. The harmonies are daring, when the
date of its composition is considered, and the mood,
the Stimmungy is modem in its melancholy and
doubt. In treating the sonata form Mozart was the
successor of Ph. Em. Bach and Haydn.

Whether his sonatas of the Vienna period are solo
or accompanied by other instruments, they have
only three movements. He first sought beauty of
melody, for song was to him the foundation, the
highest expression of music. Therefore the themes
were carefully sung, and the second subject was
made of more importance by him than by his
predecessors. Often the chief effect in his sonata
movements as in his concertos is gained by the
delivery of a sustained melody, and these melodies
written for his own hands show the influence of the
peculiar characteristics of his own performance.
Frequently in the elaboration of the themes he in-
troduced new melodies, so that we find Dittersdorf
complaining of the prodigality of the composer, who
" gives his hearers no time to breathe." When he
used polyphony, it was not to display pedantry but
to accentuate the beauty of the themes.

The slow middle movements are in song form,
and are full of emotion and tender grace ; eminently
spontaneous, and coming from the heart. The final
movements are generally the weakest. They show
the facility with which he wrote, and their gayness
often approaches triviality. Passing over the piano-
forte compositions for two performers and for two
pianofortes — not that they are unworthy of atten-
tion — we come to the sonatas with violin ac-
comi)aniinent, which, during the Vienna period,
were, many of them, written for pupils. They are
characterized by beautiful melodies and bold har-
monies rather than by any great depth or exhibition
of scholarship. The violin part is independent, and
not an accompaniment, as was usual at the time.
The trios or terzets for pianoforte, violin and *cello

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

*9S

were chiefly written for amateurs to play in musical
parties. Violoncellists of any force were rare in
these circles, and it is not unlikely that this was a
serious hindrance to Mozart's further development
of the trio. Far greater in breadth of design and in
thematic elaboration are the two pianoforte quartets
(1785 and 1786). The trios were written for social
purposes, and brilliancy was perhaj)s too much cul-
tivated ; but in these quartets passion enters, strong
and fierce and bitter. In 1784 Mozart wrote his
father that his quintet in E-flat major for pianoforte,
oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon, which was re-
ceived with great applause in a concert given by
him in the theatre, was the best thing he had ever
written, and he chose it to play before Paesiello. It
is certainly a composition of remarkable beauty, not
so much on account of its thematic invention as for
its intimate knowledge of the peculiarities of the
different instruments and for the balance of euphony
preserved throughout. The pianoforte concertos, of
which seventeen were written in Vienna, were, as a
rule, intended for his own concert use. He de-
scribed the first three as "a happy medium between
too easy and too difficult." He added in this letter
to his father, that " even ignoramuses will be pleased
with them without knowing why." Two years later
(1784) he wrote, " I cannot make a choice between
the two concertos in B-flat and D. Either one will
make the player sweat." The distinguishing merit
of these compositions for pianoforte and orchestra,
unjustly neglected in these days, is the combination
of the two different forces, while these forces at the
same time preserve their individuality. Instead of
a duel to the death between the instrument and the
orchestra, there is a generous appreciation of the
qualities and bmitations of the pianoforte, which
in Mozart's time was still weak in mechanism.
Therefore one gives way to the other for the effect
of the whole. The orchestra enieis not to crush
but to support. Often the pianoforte part seems
absurdly simple, but a closer investigation will show
that this simplicity is most artfully designed and in-
tended. Seldom are important themes given to the
pianoforte or orchestra alone ; they are shared
generously. And no words can reproduce the colors
of the orchestral tonc-paiutings, or describe the
marvelous results gained by simple means and an
unerring instinct. The first movements are in the
sonata form, but there is a certain freedom, and the
proportions are on a larger scale. There is a

cadenza, invariable, at the conclusion, and Mozan
in his concerts excited wonder by his improviia-
tions. The cadenzas published were for the use ol
pupils. The second movement is in song-form, full
of sentiment, often rom.mtic, the expression of
temperament; the song is sometimes varied. The
last movement is generally in rondo form, and the
influence of the dance is strongly marked. These
movements are gay and graceful, and occasionally
there is a touch of Haydn's humor. The greatest of
these concertos are perhaps those in 1) minor (K.
466), C (467), C minor {491) and in C (503).
Nor among his pianoforte works must the two pieces
originally written for a musical clock be forgotten.

T'S EAR COMPARED WITH AVERIGE EAR,

which are only now known by a four-hand artange-
ment. The pianoforte works of Mozart are much
neglected in these days, and most unjustly. It is
the fashion to call them simple and antiquated. But
the best of the concertos and the sonatas make
severe demands upon the mechanism and taste of
the pianist ; the apparent simplicity is often a stumb-
ling block to him that eyes them askew ; and only by
an abiolute mastery of the mech.inism controlled by
temperament can the song be sung as Mozart heard
it, so that the bearer may forget the box of cold keys
and jingling wires.

In the days of Mozart the favorite amusement of
wealthv imateurs of music mis the siring quartet.
H:iydn was the man who first showed the way,
although Boci herim should not be utterly forgotten.
The set of si't dedicated by Mo/art to Haydn,
show the growth of the quartet the mdiv idualizing
of each part 1-or in the ideal work of this species,
each part should be of e jual importance This ad-
vance however, was not to the public tiste. He

296

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

was accused of undue originality. Prince Grassal-
covicz was so angry when he found that the discords
coming from the players were actually in the parts,
that he tore the pages in pieces. The publisher re-
turned them, as full of printer's errors. Learned
men, as F^tis and (j. Weber, have written learned
analyses of the introduction to the quartet in C
major, against it and in its favor. The hearers of
to-day, accustomed to the last quartets of Beethoven
and the licenses of modern composers, are not
shocked even by the celebrated false relations in
the aforesaid introduction. Not only do these com-
positions display, in clearest light, the mastery of
form and all contrapuntal devices ; they are a mine
of sensuous and spiritual riches. The quartet is
ennobled; the minuet, that jolly, mstic dance of
Haydn, becomes, with Mozart, the court dance of
noble dames, full of grace and delicacy. The finales
abound in dignified humor, and occasionally pathos
is found. Upon these six quartets Mozart lavished
the treasures of his nature and his art. In writing
the three for Frederick William II. of Prussia, he
remembered the favorite instrument of the monarch,
and brought the violoncello into greater prominence,
making it often a solo instrument, with the melody
in its higher notes. This necessitated a different
treatment of the violins and viola, and resulted in
more brilliancy with an occasional loss of strength.
Written, as they were, to gratify the taste of a mon-
arch, they show more elegance, perha])s, than depth
of feeling, but in invention and in excjuisite propor-
tion they are worthy of even the great name of
Mozart. Without stopping to examine as carefully
as it deserves the remarkable trio for violin, viola,
and violoncello (K. 563), in six movements, let us
glance at the quintets, in which the viola is doubled,
unlike the many compositions of Hoccherini in
which two 'cellos are employed, 'i'he ([uintets in
C major and G minor were composed in 1787, the
I) major in 1790, the E-flat major, 1791. These
four quintets follow the path pointed out by the
six quartets. There are biting and harsh ])assages,
to impress more forcibly the composer's intentions,
"comparatively frecjuent successions of ninths in a
circle of fifths." And even Mozart seldom wrote
anything so full of wild and sobbing passion as
the first movement of the (1-minor (piintet, in which
the second subject is of an Italian intensity and a
conviction that remind one of the terrible earnest-
ness of Verdi, the Verdi of the niiildle ])eriod. Vet

this melody, so direct and complete, is taken as
matter for contrapuntal treatment. The adagio is
also a masterpiece, approached, perhaps equalled,
but not suq^assed by Beethoven. Polyphony is the
life of these quintets ; but it is not purely scholastic
polyphony. Mozart once said to Michael Kelly,
" Melody is the essence of music. I compare a
good melodist to a fine racer, and counterpointists
to hack post horses." But in these quintets the
counterpoint is so melodious that the tricks and
strainings of the pedagogue are never brought to
mind. Here may also be mentioned the quintet in
A major for clarinet and strings (1789), written for
Anton Stadler, a dissipated fellow, a toss-pot, and
riggish. But Mozart loved him because he blew
cunningly the clarinet, and he went about with him,
and ate with him, and drank with him. Although
it is freer in form than the great quartets, and the
quintets in (r minor, this clarinet quintet stands
beside them in its grace tinged with melancholy,
its contrapuntal skill masterly disguised, its divine
melody.

A review of the symphonies of Mozart is a sum-
ming up of the history of the symphony in the
eighteenth century from chiklhood to maturity.
He was eight years old when he wrote in I^ndon
his first symphony. It is in sonata form : allegro,
andante, finale : he uses the orchestra of the pred-
ecessors of Haydn, viz., two violins, viola, bass,
two oboes, and two horns. These early symphonies
of Mozart are relics of the time when German
instrumental masic was still in a comparatively
cnide condition, and they are chiefly interesting from
the historical point of view ; for even Kochel, the de-
voted admirer of Mozart, says that they are wanting
in character and that the motives are without
development. Look for instance at the first sym-
])hony. The allegro has one hundred and eighteen
measures ; the andante fifty ; the presto ninety-one.
According to the fashion of the old suite the three
movements are in the same tonality. The sympho-
nies of 1764 and 1765 are in the same form; in
two of them the andante is in a different key from
the other movements. It was in 1767 that Mozart
first introduced the minuet, which was, however,
without a trio. The seventeen symphonies written
from 1767 to 1772 show an advance in instrumenta-
tion rather than in growth of form. The early ones
were com])osed for the eight-part orchestra, the foun-
dation of modern orchestral works. In the second,

WOLFGANG AMADF.US MOZART

197

the two horns are replaced by two clarinets, and a
bassoon is added. Now the use of the clarinet
was then rare, Christopher Denner made the first
clarinet in 1701. Gossec wrote for the instrument in
1756, and it was first heard in England in Christian
Bach's opera "Orione" (1763). Mozart used it
also in a symphony written in Paris in 1778, and he
did not introduce it again until 1783. One of the
greatest innovations of this master, the father of or-
chestral color, was the knowledge of the resources of
this instrument, whose voice, as Berlioz well says, is
the voice of heroic love. In Mozart's works,
" whether it sings with full and sonorous voice some
episodic phrase or displays
all the riches of its two lim-
brts in a superb adagio,
ever}' where it is brought
fully into light, everywhere
it plays an important role."
In 1768, Mozart used the
drums and one trumpet ; in
r769 two bassoons; in 1770
two trumpets ; in i77i,inan
andante, two flutes. He was
still making experiments. In
1773, for the first time, he
composed a symphony in the
minor mode ; and in this
year he first went over zoo
measures in the opening al-
legro ; he also used four
horns. ]n i774he employed

two viob parts. In 1778 mozart ik

the "Parisian" symphony cui in ho<wood b/ Pmch,

was perfonned with great "" '"'pi>"">"i"r'i' ^J^J'"'
success at a Concert Sfiri-

tud. Never before had he developed his motives
to so great a length ; never before had he employed
so large an orchestra ; the score includes, besides the
string parts, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two
bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, drums, — in all
seventeen parts. Haydn did not use so large an
orchestra until 1793. The allegros are brilliant and
animated, following the French taste of the time,
and they were loudly applauded; the andante did
not produce so great an effect. After his return
to Germany he was obliged to reduce his orchestral
forces, and to cut his cloth to suit his opportuni-
ties. The "Haflner" made over from a seren-
ade shows that the forms of the ancient serenade

and modem symphony were still confounded; its
allegro is not symphonic, but one theme is present
and rules from beginning tc end. In 1 783, in
the symphony in C, he first wrote an introduction
to the first movement. In r786 the symphony
in D, with an introduction, was brought out at
Prague with unbounded success. It contains, like
(he " Parisian," no minuet. Jt opens with a solemn
adagio introduction ; the allegro bears a rhythmical
resemblance in its first theme lo that of the " Magic
Flute " overture ; the andante is often cited as a
perfect example of the exquisite grace of Mozart;
the finale in its sparkling vivacity brings to mind a
number of " Figaro." And
here it niay be said that the
symphonic instrumentation
of Mozart approaches closer
dramatic formulas fhan that
of Hajdn or Beethoven.
The three last symphonies
of Mozart show a wonderful
advance. In a certain ex-
pression and in a certain
treatment they belong to
the nineteenth century.
There is more blood, more
intensity, a dread of un-
meaning formalism. Tech-
nically they are beyond crit-
icism ; and in pure expres-
sion of remarkable musical
thought, in sense of euphony
PHQFi^E and proportion, in perfec-

s.itbure icuiflto, :n IT89. t'on of musical style they

('MoiTrl'''' *'" """' p"'^""''"" stand a marvel for all time,
ITie one in E-flat was writ-
ten in June, t788. To gain the wished -for eflects
clarinets are used, and no oboes. The prevailing
rhythm is ternary ; and yet Mozart has so varied the
pace of the movements that there is no feeling of
monotony on this account. No prismatic words can
give an idea of this " triumph of euphony" ; although
German commentators have exhausted what has been
inelegantly described as *' the drivel of panegj'ric,"
It is true that there are points of resemblance to
Haydn's style ; "but Mozart's individuality is here so
overpowering as to have given its distinguishing
stamp to these very features," No wonder that
German romanticists have sought refuge in extrav-
agance in description. .Apel attempted to turn the

298

FAMOUS COAf POSERS

symphony into a poem which was to imitate in words
the character of the different movements. Hoff-
mann, writer of tales of horror, composer and con-
ductor, caricaturist, critic, and official, one of the
first to realize the greatness of Beethoven, called the
symphony the " Swan Song." " Love and melancholy
breathe forth in purest spirit tones ; we feel our-
selves drawn with inexpressible longing towards the
forms which beckon us to join them in their flight
through the clouds to another sphere. The night
blots out the last purple rays of day, and we extend
our arms to the beings that summon us as they
move with the spheres in the eternal circles of the
solemn dance.** Our criticism of to-day is written
in a different spirit. We use freely the test-tube
and litmus paper ; we pry and analyse. Such out-
pourings we call hifalutin ; but it must be remem-
bered that the acute Hoffmann put them into the
mouth of the half-crazed Johannes Kreisler. A
striking contrast to the E-flat symphony is the G
minor written in July, 1788. Deldevez has de-
scribed it in a sentence ; " It is graceful, pas-
sionate, melancholy; it is inspiration united with
science." Deldevez has also pointed out that it is
the truest and the most complete expression of the
minor mode ; that the tonality is treated in the
most vigorous manner ; that the modulations suc-
ceed each other according to the severe precepts
of the school. It is the symphony of Mozart thr.t
is most full of passion, and yet the composer neve r
forgot in writing it that " music, when expressing
horrors, must still be music." The symphony in
C, August, 1788, is called, for some reason or other,
possibly for its majesty, the "Jupiter." There is
here not so much of human sentiment and passion
as in the (1 minor symphony, but there is the
splendor, as well as the serenity that is peculiar to
Mozart ; and the finale is a masteri)iece of contra-
puntal skill that is unsurpassed in music, for the
fugue is made on a symphonic plan, and thus two
distinct art-forms are moulded into one. Jahn has
said that the highest (juality of these three sym-
phonies is " the harmony of tone- color, the healthy
combination of orchestral sound," and he admits at
the same time the impotence of language to rei)ro-
duce the substance of a musical work. Richard
Wagner wrote that " the longing sigh of the great
human voice, drawn to him by the lovmg ])o\ver of
his genius, breathes from his instruments." And in
these sayings the two great elements of Mozart's

symphonic writing are fitly described. In his
pianoforte concertos Mozart strove to set out and
adorn by the orchestral instruments the pianoforte
part, and at the same time give an enchanting musi-
cal background. In his symphonies " he sought to
give his melody, by way of compensation for its
delivery by mere instruments, the depth of feeHng
and ardor that lies at the source of the human
voice as the expression of the unfathomable depths
of the heart" ; and in this he succeeded by leading
" the irresistible stream of richest harmony into the
heart of his melody." Well might the cool-headed
Ambros say of the last great three, " considered as
pure music, it is hardly worth while to ask whether
the world possesses anything more perfect."

Mozirt, as we have seen, wrote much for the
church. Unfortunately the best known of his
masses were wTitten to suit the florid taste of his
patron ; and his church music, judged thereby, has
been reproached for its frivolity and insincerity
Some, forgetting the solemnity of the litanies de
venerabili, the dignity of the vespers, the heavenly
"Ave Verum," the " Qui tollis" from the mass in C
minor, and portions of the Requiem, have denied
him religious feeling, so far as his religious music is
concerned. But the musical expression of religious
feeling differs with the time, the place, and the in-
dividual. What is religious music ? To the Aztec,
who in religious sacrifice cut out the victim's heart,
the beating of the serpent-skin dmm wms religious
music ; to the monks of the Middle Ages the drone
of the plain song of the church seemed the expres-
sion of religious contemplation ; and to-day many
worthy people find spiritual consolation in the joy-
ous ditties of the Salvation Army. We define reli-
gious music conformably with our own religious
sentiment. In the days of Palestrma, church music
influenced subtly the congregation ; it created a
mood, a Stimmutix^, In the days of Haydn and
Mozart the influence of the virtuosoship of the
opera-singer was strongly felt ; it invaded the church ;
it was recognized by the composer of the mass. So
in more modern days the dramatic instinct of ope-
ratic (omposers is seen in their religious works;
and one may say with Rubinstein, " I think it an
error, however, to condemn for that reason the
' Stabat Mater ' of Rossini or the ' Requiem * of Verdi
in Protestant countries. The Protestant may indeed
say : ' I have a different feelinL^' but not, 'That is
bad, because it is other than my feeling of worship.*"

MONUMENT TO MOZART IN SALZBURG.
Erected in 1843.

300

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Thibaut may attack the church music of Mozart,
and Lorenz may defend it ; each expresses thereby
his own religious sentiment. It is true that many
of the masses of Mozart, considered as music, are
not to be compared with his works of a higher
flight ; and the one that is the most popular, the
1 2 th, so called, was not written by him. But how
about the " Requiem," which he left unfinished,
and which has been the subject of so many legends,
so many disputes? Did not the mystery that for a
time surrounded its birth give it a fictitious value ?
The Requiem and Kyrie are the work of Mozart as
they now exist ; the movements from the Dies Irse
to the first eight bars of the lacrimosa, also the
Domine Jesu and Hostias, were finished by him in
the voice part and bass, and the principal points of
the instrumentation were also indicated by him. It
will be seen, therefore, that the part of Sussmayer,
who completed it, is considerable. Now there has
been much discussion concerning the merits of the
double fugue even from the technical standpoint,
and it is true that the most beautiful portions of the
work are the least polyphonic, as the wailing Lacri-
mosa, which beyond a peradventure belongs to
Mozart, although so little was actually written with
his own hand ; the Confutatis with the antiphonal
effects of male and female voices, and the marvel-
lous, unearthly harmonies of the Oro supplex ; the
powerful and concise Rex tremendae. On the other
hand the Tuba mirum with the trombone cantabile
is an inadequate setting of the dread scene. By
many worshippers of Mozart, who at the same time
believe in the supremacy of reHgious music, the
Requiem is called the tniest and most genuine ex-
pression of Mozart's nature, and his imperishable
monument. But the contrary opinion now prevails
among prominent musicians. The Retjuiem as a
whole cannot be considered as com])lete a revelation
of the genius of the composer as the G-minor sym-
phony, the quartets dedicated to Haydn, " Figaro "
or " Don Giovanni.*'

Now the supreme genius of Mozart is seen in his
dramatic works. It has been said that he com])leted
the palace of Italian opera and laid the enduring
foundations of the German. This saying has more
of epigram than truth ; or it is only partially true.
The opera is a thing of fashion, an amusement of
the day. It is finally shai)ed by the ])revailing pop-
ular taste, although the beginnings of a new and
varying form may be in opposition to that taste.

The history of opera from the time of its invention
at Florence to the pilgrimages to Bayreuth is a story
of fickle tastes, passionate caprices, violent disputes.
First there was the revolt against the contrapuntists ;
then came the rule of the singer ; then the conflict
between dramatic truth and personal vainglory, a
conflict that was born with the birth of opera. Run
over the " History of Operas " by Clement and La-
rousse ; glance at the roll of singers from the early
times of virtuosoship : names that are utterly for-
gotten, and yet they once filled the mouths of men
and were the idols of the day. It is a dreary busi-
ness, this reading of the exploits of singers and
opera makers of the past, — not unlike the decipher-
ing of moss-covered tombstones in the hillside grave-
yard of a well-nigh deserted New England village.
To better appreciate the work of Mozart, let us
briefly consider the condition of opera when he first
looked toward the stage. In the middle of the
eighteenth century the singer ruled supreme. They
were great days, those eighteenth-century days, —
"When men had longer breaths and voices that
never grew old, when strange and terrible things still
happened, sapphire rings presented them by the
demon, processions to welcome them, and violent
deaths by murder or in brawls." The singers had
contributed largely in forming the lyric drama, but
their demands became exorbitant and the composer
was their slave. The introduction of castrates on
the stage was of special influence in shaping the
oi)eratic conditions. Take any opera seria of that
day : it consists simply of a series of detached airs
strung together by the poet's story. There was no
dramatic action ; there was simply an operatic con-
cert. The prima </onna was the queen of the the-
atre ; she claimed the privilege of the escort of a
])age when she made her entrance ; he held the
train of her robe and followed every movement.
The tenor was obliged to be either a noble father, a
traitor or tyrant. The basso was restricted to opera
buffa^ for it was thought that his voice was naturally
too "grotesque" to be heard in opera seria. The
castrate was the monarch of the scene. Singularly
enough, he was called the primo uomo, and to him
was given the lover's part. His very person was
sacred on the stage. Others might slay and be
shin ; he was inviolable, and his head was always
crowned with laurel. It was the rule in Italy, never
to admit the murder of the chief singer, although
the piece itself might reek with blood. These male

PRIZE MODEL FOR NEW MONUMENT TO MOZART IN VIENNA.
Reproduced from a phatograph.

302

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

sopranos were spoiled children. One must make
his appearance upon a horse ; another insisted on
descending from a mountain; another would not
sing unless his plume was five feet in length. The
moment they finished their airs, they left the stage,
or remained upon it sucking oranges or drinking
wine. They made their demands on the composer ;
he was obliged to write a bravura aria, or an air di
portamento with perhaps a tnimpet obligato, ac-
cording to their caprice. They robbed their asso-
ciates of their airs if they saw a possible distribution
of glory. The chief singer and the composer be-
tween them made the opera, for there was but little
ensemble work. The custom was to finish the sec-
ond act with a duet between the castrate and the
first soprano ; to end the third by a terzetto in
which the first tenor was admitted. (Jrdtry tells us
that during the seven or eight years he lived in Rome,
he never saw a serious opera succeed. " If the
theatre was crowded, it was to hear a certain singer ;
and when the singer left the stage, the people in the
boxes played cards or ate ices, and the people in
the parterre yawned." And Voltaire summed up
the whole matter when he wrote M. de Cideville
(1752) that "the opera is a public rendezvous
where people meet on certain days without knowing
why ; it is a house which is frequented by every-
body, although the master is freely cursed and the
crowd bored."

It was different in opera buffa. In this species
of opera the virtuosos were not so powerful as the
poet and the composer. The castrate could not
afford to waste his time in consorting with the
**douffonSj'* and so his place was taken by the tenor,
who became the passionate lover. In like manner
the prima donna was paid such a small sum that
the manager was obliged to look for women of am-
bition and dramatic talent instead of acknowledged
vocal skill. The basso was admitted to the com-
pany, and here was the foundation of an ensemble
impossible in grand opera. The opera seria re-
mained in its conventional or ideal world ; the
opera buffa was concerned with subjects of every-
day life. The former clung to history or legend ;
the latter delighted in api)ealing to the life of the
people. The composer was allowed more liberty.
He was not confined to the da capo air, composed
of two parts with the invariable repetition of the
first ; he could use the rondo, where the chief
melody appears after each secondary theme ; or

the cavatina, with one movement ; or the chan-
son with its simple couplet ; in other words, he
could better suit the dramatic action. He wrote
duets, trios, quartets of importance, and gradually
the finale was developed. So too the orchestra,
which had been subordinated to the imperious
singer in opera seria, found its voice, and even
sang in passages where the text demanded of the
singer a rapid delivery that was almost dramatic
speech. The opera buffa rapidly grew in public
favor, and Arteaga in his famous book on the
" Revolution of Italian Dramatic Music ** frankly
confessed that the opera buffa was in better con-
dition and gave greater promise than its more
pretentious rival.

The first attempts of Mozart in dramatic com-
position do not call for special attention. They
were in the conventional style of the day, and the
librettos were wretched. Two of them " Bastien
et Bastienne " and " La finta Ciiardiniera " were
revived in Germany in 1892 and with considerable
success. In the latter the characters are well
defined ; the melody is spontaneous ; there is color ;
and the finales are well developed. But in " Ido-
meneo " (1781) we first see the peculiar dramatic
genius of Mozart. There is still the fonnalism
of the opera seria, but there are traces of the
influence of French dramatic sincerity, and of his
own artistic individuality. Jahn has described the
opera as " the genuine Italian opera seria brought
to its utmost perfection by Mozart's highly culti-
vated individuality." The chorus is brought into
prominence ; the instrumentation is richer than
in contemporaneous works, and there are evidences
of the study of Gluck, as in the accompaniment of
three trombones and two horns in the proclaiming
of the oracle of Neptune. That he was convinced
at the time of the superiority of French taste
in dramatic music, as in truth of diction and sin-
cerity, is shown by the fact that he wished to bring
it out in Vienna rearranged after the French model.
And it may here be said that if Mozart in the
formation of his song was strongly influenced by
Italian spirit, he was also deeply impressed by
the sense of proportion, that was characteristic
of French opera of his day. Grt^try had shown
great art in the connecting of the operatic scenes,
translating faithfully the spoken word into musical
speech, and individualizing by musical means the
creatures of the play. It was reserved for Mozart,

WOLFGANG A MADE US MOZART

303

the greater genius, to carry Cir^try's theories farther
and at the same time never lose sight of the
musical expression. Mehul once said that Gr^try
made wit and not music ; this reproach could not
justly be made against Mozart, although he walked
in the same path with the author of " Le Tableau
parlant " and " Richard." In spite of both the
French and Italian influences, there was much that
was novel in the expression of the phrase, the
variety of thematic development, and the modula-
tion, harmony, and instrumentation. Its first per-
formance was an epoch in the history of opera.

In the " Escape from the Seraglio " (1782) there
was a still greater advance, and here is seen the
beginning of what is now known as German opera.
Mozart, while composing it, wrote his father at
various times concerning his operatic creed. Quo-
tations from these letters will perhaps best explain
his theories : " A man who abandons himself to his
anger, becomes extravagant and is no longer master
of himself. If music paints anger, it must imitate
its model ; and however violent the passions may
be they should never provoke disgust. Music
ought never to wound the ear. Even in the most
horrible situations it ought to satisfy the ear. Mu-
sic should always remain music." Here it will be
seen that he is with La Harpe and against Gluck.
" Poetry in opera should be the obedient daughter
of music. Why do the Italian operas, in spite
of miserable texts, please everywhere, even in Paris?
Because the music dominates as sovereign and
everything else is accepted.*' Here again Mozart
is directly opposed to Gluck ; the former is the
disciple of the Italian school ; the latter faithful to
the French theory. Perhaps, as Victor Wilder sug-
gests, the truth is between the two extreme points ;
poetry and music in opera are necessarily in recipro-
cal independence, and each ought in turn to dom-
inate the other, as the action hastens or is at
a standstill. Gluck himself admitted that " the
union between words and music should be so close
that the poem seems as much made for the music as
the music for the poem." Now Italian dramatic mu-
sic was chiefly concerned with the whole cflcct of the
poetical thought ; the French was more concerned
with the detail ; the German was more allied to the
symphony, and there was a more even balance be-
tween the vocal melody and the instrumental phrase.
(It will be borne in mind that I speak of German
opera as it existed before the theories and work

of Richard Wagner.) As " Idomeneo " is distin-
guished by choral dignity and French frankness of
dramatic expression, the " Escape from the Sera-
glio " is characterized by exquisite melody, by de-
lightful ensemble, and by ingenious instrumentation.
There is an exuberance, a freshness in this opera,
that led von Weber to aflftrm that here Mozart had
reached '* the full maturity of his powers as an
artist, and that his further progress after that was
only in knowledge of the world." It would be an
interesting task to show the growth of Mozart's dra-
matic genius as seen in this glorification of the
old German Singspiel ; the characterization of the
different parts by musical means. His letters to
his father show the pains he took in the in-
strumentation, now seeking with triangle, big drum
and cymbals Turkish efiects, now emphasizing
the sighs of Belmont with muted strings and the
flute.

Rossini once said that his " Barbiere " was an
opera buffay while Mozart in " Le Nozze di Figaro "
gave the model of the dratnma giocoso : a fine dis-
tinction, worthy of the shrewdness of the author.
This Italian adaptation of a French comedy set to
music by a German diflers from the accepted form
of opera ifuffa, in the development of the plot and
the delineation of character. The opera is at
once dramatic, comic and musical, not merely a
bundle of comic situations and gross caricature
with incidental music. Rossini's " Barbiere," a
masterpiece for all time, is undoubtedly the truer
reflection of the spirit of Beaumarchais ; for Mo-
zart has idealized the intrigues and characters of
the play. The libretto of da Ponte is admirable in
spite of the omission of the political satire that
perhaps justifies the immorality of the play. In
this opera the musical character-drawing is most
cunning. Susanna and Marcellina are jealous, but
how diflerent is their common jealousy from the
noble jealousy of the Countess. Rossini has drawn
the Countess in her youth and made her a mis-
chievous and rebellious child. Mozart finds her a
loving and abused wife, who does not encourage
the page's advances, but, suffering, yet not without
hope, seeks to win back her husband's love. In
Susanna's passion there is a tinge of sensuality, but
the music given her by Mozart is nobly sensuous.
And so her merriment, her teasing, her caprices are
all fitly expressed. The Cherubino of Beaumar-
chais is a wanton youth who looks with amorous eye

304

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

upon dU women ; but his fever is turned into ab-
sorbing and trembling love when he is in the
presence of Mozart's Countess. So too the men
are carefully distinguished. The music given to
each one of the characters can not be mistaken ;
it surrounds each like an atmosphere. This char-
acterization is clearly seen in the masterly finales.
Take the eight movements, each distinct in design,
that form the finale of the second act. Succeeding
complications as the number of persons in the
action increases ; different emotions, as jealousy,
merriment, anger, forgiveness ; the entrance and
denunciation of the drunken gardener ; the arrival
of Marcellina and her confederates ; all these seem-
ingly opposing elements are firmly bound together
and knit into an harmonious whole that constantly
increases in dramatic and musical strength. The
other great finale, a succession of misunderstandings
and surprises is almost equally remarkable, and the
sextet, which according to Kelly was Mozart's
favorite piece in the whole opera, is not far below
it. All these ensemble numbers are at the same
time so skilfully constructed that there is an appear-
ance of utter freedom of dramatic action. No
words can give an idea of the wealth of melody, a
wealth that is prodigally squandered, and yet this
melody enhances the dramatic truth and does not
stifle it. The instrumentation is always appropriate
to the scenic effect. It supplements the voice.
Whenever the same subject is used in a great num-
ber of recitatives, there is an astonishing variety of
instrumental expression. It is said that Mozart's con-
temporaries were particularly struck by his employ-
ment of wind instruments, as in the accompaniment
to Cherubino's romanze and air. And yet how simple
the means ; how meager the resources would seem
to young composers of to-day who even in comic
operas feel obliged to use the trombones and drums
for the accompaniment of the slightest recitative.
In this opera the orchestra takes its rightful place,
it does not seek to dominate. It is always con-
scious of the action on the stage, but it is not en-
vious ; it gladly assists, and strengthens the im-
pression. Its tone-colors aid in the distinguishing
of the characters. And above all, in the orchestra
as well as on the stage, there is ever present the
sense of dramatic truth and unerring instinct in the
expression of it.

The libretto of " Don Giovanni " has been often
censured, and without real justice ; for nearly all

the feelings of humanity are expressed by the char-
acters. The supernatural, the vulgar, tragedy and
comedy are mixed together; even in the scene
where the rake-helly hero plunges into eternal
flames, the element of farce is present. Beethoven,
it is true, thought the subject a scandalous one, un-
worthy of musical treatment ; but it was admirably
adapted to the dramatic temperament of Mozart.
" Don (iiovanni is a temperament of flame and fire
that has no time for monologues ; he acts ; it is life
without shackles, without curb, flowing as the lava
of a volcano, which destroys everything in its path."

The various scenes, the conflicting passions,
are marvellously reproduced in the music of Mo-
zart. From the very opening where Leporello
keeps impatient watch to the unearthly scene be-
tween the Statue and the libertine, there is an un-
ceasing flow of exquisite melody that is not only
appropriate to the characters and the action, but is
also the fullest and most complete expression of the
plot and incidents. Berlioz objected to the florid
air sung by Donna Anna, on the ground that it was
not essentially dramatic ; but there have been
singers who could express passion in a roulade and
sway the hearer by a trill ; such is the power of
personal conviction. It is true that the last finale
is an anti-climax. The interest ceases with the
punishment of the hero, and although attempts have
been made to give the opera with this finale, they
have not been successful ; and the curtain rightly
falls with the descent of Don CJiovanni. To speak
in detail of the myriad beauties of this masterpiece
would be simply to analyze the score measure by
measure. Its immortal melodies are known
throughout the world. Musicians of all schools
have vied with men eminent in the other walks of
life in the most extravagant eulogy. In this opera
is seen the universality of Mozart's genius. His
knowledge of humanity, his sympathy with all
classes and conditions of men. It is the most
realistic of his works ; it is at the same time the
most ideal. Not without reason did Goethe pass
over Chenibini and von Weber, Auber and Rossini,
Beethoven and the rest, and say that Mozart was the
one who should have set his Faust to music. Not
without reason did he mention him with Shakes-
peare.

"Cosi fan tutte " and *' La Clemenza di Tito"
were written hurriedly. Neither is an advance in
the career of the composer. The first is a return

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

305

to the old-fashioned opera buff a; the second looks
longingly towards the ancient opera serta. The plot
of the former is vulgar, improbable and stupid ; and
that of the latter is extremely dull. The music
of "Cosi fan tutte " is often delightful, as in the
famous quintet, the second terzet ; but there is not
the same degree of psychological characterization
found in his three great operas; and there are
many concessions to popular taste. " La Clemenza
di Tito " belongs to that class of compositions
described by the French as grandes machines
officielles. The finale is worthy of Mozart ; but as a
whole the opera is inferior to " Idomeneo " even in
the instrumentation.

When Schikaneder learned that Marinelli, a rival
manager, also thought of putting on the stage a
fairy drama made out of Wieland's " Lulu," he
changed the plot of his " Magic flute " and substi-
tuted for the evil genius of the play the high priest
Sarastro, who appears to be custodian of the
secrets and the executor of the wishes of the ma-
sonic order. The libretto has been ruthlessly con-
demned by many for its obscurity, absurdity, trivial-
ity and buffoonery. Certain writers, however, have
found a deep and symbolical meaning in the most
frivolous dialogue and even in the music of the
overture. Some have gone so far as to regard the
opera as a symbolical representation of the French
Revolution : with the Queen of Night as the incar-
nation of royalty; Pamina as Liberty, for whom
Tamino, the People, burns with passionate love ;
Sarastro as the Wisdom of the Legislature. Others
have claimed that no one who was not a Freemason
could appreciate the merits of the libretto at their
true value. Now, Mozart himself saw nothing in
the text but the story of a magic opera. Goethe
and Hegel were equally blind. The former once
wrote of the text that " the author understood
perfectly the art of producing great theatrical effects
by contrasts," and Hegel praised the libretto highly
for its mixture of the supernatural and the common,
for its episodes of the initiations and the tests.
Rubinstein likes the variety : " pathetic, fantastic,
lyric, comic, naive, romantic, dramatic, tragic, yes,
it would be hard to find an expression that is
wanting in it. It is evident the genius of a Mozart
was required to reproduce it all musically, as he has
done ; but such texts might incite less genial com-
posers to interesting work." But who in listening
to the music heeds Tamino pursued by the snake,

the gloomy Queen, or the vengeance of the Moor?
Who is disquieted by the padlock or the glocken-
spiel? He listens to the overture and forgets the
" prodigious complexity " in "its clearness, fascina-
tion and irresistible effect," and he says with Saint
Saens, " it is a tour de force which Mozart only
could have accomplished." He laughs with Papa-
geno ; he woos with Tamino ; he is initiated into
the solemn mysteries. He does not understand the
plot ; he does not desire to understand it ; for his
mind and his senses are soothed by the continual
and varied melody. As regards the instrumentation
Jahn has condensed all criticism into this one
sentence : " It is the point of departure for all that
modem music has achieved in this direction."
Nor can the influence which the opera has exerted
in the formation of German music be overrated.
For the first time all the resources of great ^genius
were brought to bear upon a genuine German
opera. No one has summed up so tersely and
so fully the operatic genius of Mozart as Rubin-
stein : " Gluck had achieved great things in the
opera before him; yes, opened new paths, but in
comparison with Mozart he is, so to say, of stone.
Besides, Mozart has the merit of having removed
the opera from the icy pathos of mythology into
real life, into the purely human, and from the
Italian to the German language, and thereby to a
national path. The most remarkable feature of his
operas is the musical characteristic he has given to
every figure, so that each acting personage has be-
come an immortal type. That which he has made,
he alone could make : a god-like creation, all
flooded with light. In hearing Mozart I always
wish to exclaim : * Eternal sunshine in music, thy
name is Mozart ! ' "

Mozart once said in regard to his lesser works,
"Woe to the man that judges me by these trifles."
But the skill in instrumentation, the heaven-born
song, the spontaneity of counterpoint, and the ex-
quisite sense of proportion are often displayed in the
serenades and divertimenti. And in these qualities
of art he still reigns supreme. It is true that he
founded no school in the narrow sense of the word ;
but he smoothed the path for Beethoven ; and
without him the noble line in direct succession
would have been of later birth. It is idle, and yet
it is common in these days, to compare a composer
of one generation, or even of a century, with the com-
poser of earlier or later years. Music itself is in a

ao

3o6

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

measure the expression of its time. When counter-
point was regarded as the only medium of music, the
opera itself was stiffened by its contrapuntal dress,
and religion could only find vent in a fugue. When
the singer waxed arrogant, music existed only for his
vain glory. Now we are taught to believe that ab-
solute music, music that does not "paint" or "per-
sonate " or follow a " program," is of little account ;
that unless it puts in clearer light some poetical
thought or some determined emotion or natural
phenomenon, it is worthless ; that music is not
merely the vehicle of musical thought, but is rather
a means of expressing many ideas that might be
better expressed in poetry, in prose, or on the
canvas. So the limes change and with them the
fashions in art of every species. There is then per-
haps no greatest composer, Plutarchian compari-
sons between the men of different centuries are
of little avail in determining true values. A
man must be judged by the conditions of his own
time and compared with the men who worked by
his side. And what compositions of Mozart's day,

instrumental or operatic, have stood the test of the
revenger Time? Even the mighty Gluck with his
noble theories and statuesque music has bowed the
knee to the younger rival. Figaro and Fapageno
and the dissolute Don Juan Tenorio y Salazar live
to-day upon the stage ; they are as familiar as the
characters of the Old Testament; as Robinson
Crusoe or Don Quixote ; they are immortalized by
the genius of the music-maker of Vienna. It may
be said without exaggeration that no composer began
his work with such a natural endowment ; that Na-
ture created him the greatest musician. His dear
friend Haydn, a man not given to vain compli-
ments, a man of hard sense, declared that posterity
would not see such talent as his for the next hun-
dred years. And Rossini at the height of his
glory, conscious of his own prodigious natural gifts.
pronounced the final judgment so far as this century
is concerned : " He is the greatest, he is the mas-
ter of us all. He is the only one whose genius
was as great as his knowledge, and whose knowl-
edge equalled his genius,"

FRESCO FROM V

* OPER* HOUSE,

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Kipmlucthn of a Ilf—tlza poHrall bn F. A. aM KlSbtr (1703-1864) modi In 1BIT, UUittraphti *« Thtn. Htu. Thlt f( tl
torti/-ttiitnth i/iar and bigna Uie comfiotltltn of U« fllnVi Snapliony, uilllcll Ht JlaUIItd llx ytarl lattr.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

town of IjOuvain, in Belgium, is
w a dull place, wilh a Hotel de
lie, Gothic church, detestable
er, and about 34,000 inhabitants.
±., the 14th century it was the
capital of the Duchy of Brabant, the residence of"
the princes, the home of 2,000 manufactories. Near
this city, whose ruin was wrought by turbulent weav-
ers, are villages called Rotselaer, Leefdsel, and Ber-
them ; and in the 16th century people by the name
of Van Beethoven were found in these same villages
or hard by. If L^on de Burbure's researches are
not in vain, these Van Beethovens were simple Flem-
ish peasants, who ate beans during the week, and on
a Sunday welcomed the sight of bacon. Fan is not
in Dutch a sign of nobility. Nor was the spelling
of the name invariable. It was Biethoven, Bie-

he was a singer in I^Duvain. In 1733 he was named
a musician of the court of the Elector of Cologne
at Bonn. His salary was fixed at about (160,
and he married, in September, 1733, Maria Jose-
pha Poll, aged nineteen. Louis, or Ludwig, pros-
pered. He rose from "Musicus" to " Herr Ka-
pellmeister." Maria, his wife, with increasing good
fortune and the addition of a wine shop to music
lessons, took to drink, and died in 1775 in a con-
vent at Cologne. Johann, their son, born towards
the end of 1739 or in the beginning of 1740, in-
herited her thirst. He sang tenor and received his
appointment as court singer March 2-j, 1756. For
thirteen years he had served without pay as soprano,
contralto, and tenor, and in 1764 he was granted
one hundred thalers by Maximilian Friedrich, who
had succeeded Clemens August as Elector. In 1767

thoffen, Bethof, Betthoven ; and there were other he married Maria Magdalena Kewerich, the widow

variations. of Johann Layra, a valet. Maria was the daughter of

About 1650 one of these farmers grew weary of a head cook, nineteen, comely, slender, soft-hearted.

the smell of fresh earth and the life with the beasts
of the field, and he entered into Antwerp to make
his fortune. There he married, begot a son, and
named him Guillaume ; and Guillaume was the great-
great-grandfather of the composer of the Nine
Symphonies, Guillaume, or Wilhelm, grew up,
trafficked in wines, was apparently a man of parts,
and was held in esteem. He married Catherine

Old Ludwig objected to the match on account of
the low social position of the woman. The young
couple lived in the house No. 5 1 5 in the Bonngasse.
Ludwig Maria was bom in 1 769 and lived six days.
Ludwig, the great composer, was baptized the 1 7th
of December, 1770, and he was probably bom
the day before the baptism. Of the five children
bom afterward, only Caspar Anton (1774-1815)

Grandjean. He named one of his eight children and Nikolaus Johann (1776-1848) grew up.

Henri-Ad^lard, and this Henri, the godson of the
Baron de Rocquigny, became a prominent tailor,
and wedded Catherine de Herdt, by whom he had a
dozen children. The third, a son, was baptized
Dec. aj, 1712, and his name was Louis. Louis
was brought up in the Antwerp choirs, and there
seems to be no doubt that he received a thorough
musical education. His father, Henri, a year after
the birth of Louis, fell into poverty, and it is prob-

brother, August, lived two years ; a sister, Anna,
four days, and Maria Margaretha about a year.

The seat of the electoral government of Cologne
was transferred in 1257 from Cologne to Bonn.
The ecclesiastical principality was a source of large
revenue to the Elector, and his income was derived
from rights of excise and navigation, church dues,
benefits of games and lotteries, and secret sums
paid the Elector by Austria and France for serving

able that the boy, following the fortunes of some their interests. The Elector was also powerful in
choir-master, lived for a time at Ghent. In 1731 politics, and he had the privilege of putting Charie-

FAMOUS COMPOSF.JiS

magne's crown on the head of the emperor at
Aix-la-Chapelle. The founder of the musical orga-
nization in Bonn was Joseph Clemens, ugly, hump-
backed, witty, fond of practical jokes, miisic-mad.
He was continually chasing after artists of merit.
He introduced French and Flemish musicians. In
1722 the state of the electoral music -chapel was as
follows : a director- in-chief of singing, and two con-

QEETHOVENS BIRTHPLACE IN BONN.

cert-masters ; six musicians who were sub-chiefs,
organists, etc, ; twelve singers, men and women,
and to them must be added choir boys, aiid assist-
ants chosen from the domestics of the court ; seven-
teen players of stringed instniments ; four trumpet!
two horns and two dnims; six jilayers of oboes and
bassoons. Joseph died in 1724. Clemens August
succeeded him, and. shared his musical taste. He
in turn was followed in 1761 by Maximilian Fried-
nch, whose habits were sumptuous; but his prime

minister cut down the expenses. He dismissed
comedians, lessened the number of concerts, and
so the Beethoven family suffered in pocket.

The death of the first grandchild healed the
breach between old Ludwig and Johann. The old
man died in 1773, but his grandson Ludwig re-
membereil him and preserved his portrait painted
by Ra<loux to the day of his own death. Dressed
in court costume and wrapped in a
red cloak, with great and sparkling
eyes, he made an indelible impression
on the three -year-old boy, as on his
neighbors, who respected and admired
him. It was his father who first taught
Ludwig the rudiments of his art. It
is said, and the reports are unanimous,
that when the boy was hardly four
years old, he was obliged to practise
for hours on the pianoforte, and was
often urged by blows. He was soon
put under the instruction of Tobias
Ifeiffer, the tenor of a strolling com-
pany. Pfeiffer was a good musician
and a man of unquenchable thirst.
Johann and he would spend hours in
the tavern ; and Tfeifler, suddenly re-
membering that his pupil had received
no lesson that day, would return home,
drag him from his bed, and keep him
at the instrument until daybreak. Or,
locked in a room, young Ludwig prac-
tised the violin, and he was kept there
until he had finished the daily allotted
task. At the primary school he
learned to read, write, and reckon.
Before he was thirteen, his father
declared that his scholastic education
was finished. This limited education
was a source of mortification to Bee-
thoven throughout his life, and no
doubt influenced strongly his character. He spelled
atrociously, he was never sure of the proper expres-
sion, and the washerwoman disjiuted angrily his
addition and subtraction.

After the death of the grandfather poverty en-
tered the house. The second-hand buyer became
the warm friend of the family, and the household
furniture fed Johann's appetite. In response to a
singular petition of the tenor, a pension of sixty
thalers was granted to the poor woman in the con-

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

3"

vent at Cologne, who died a few months after it
was given to her. Beethoven's patient mother was
always sewing and mending, and the baker at least
was paid. Meanwhile Johann meditated over his
cups the possibility of fortune gained by his son,
Pfeiffer left Bonn. The boy took a few lessons of
Van den Eeden, They were gratuitous ; the
teacher was old and infirm; and Neefe, who suc-
ceeded Van den Eeden, took charge of Ludwig and
gave him his first instruction in composition.
Neefe was an excellent musician. The son of a
tailor, he first studied law, and gained the title of
" Doctor " by his thesis "A father has no right to
disinherit his son because the latter has turned
opera- singer." Now Neefe left on record a descrip-
tion of I.udwig at the age of eleven, which was piib-
lished in Cramer's Music Magazine. According to
him Beethoven played the pianoforte with " ener-
getic skill." He played " fluently" Bach's " Well-
tempered Clavichord." " To encourage him he had
nine variations which the child wrote
on a march theme engraved at Mann-
heim. This young genius deserves a
subsidy that he may travel. If he goes
on as he has begun, he will certainly
be a second Mozart." Years after,
Beethoven acknowledged gladly his
many obligations to this master. In
1782 Neefe went to Munster for a visit,
and Ludwig, then eleven years and a
half old, look his place at the organ. B«»thiiv«n't fin
In the following year he was promoted m.dB b6t-t»n
to the position of maestro al cembalo,
i. e., he assisted at operatic rehearsals and played
the pianoforte at the performances. During these
years, operas by Gr^try, Piccini, Cimarosa, Gngli-
elmi, Sacchini, Sarti, Monsigny, Gtuck, and Mozart
were given. According to the recollections of those
who then knew him, he was sombre, melancholy.
He did not enter into the sports of his age. Once
a year he assisted in the celebration of the birth-
day of his mother. There was music, there was
drinking, and there was eating ; there was dancing
in stockings, so that the neighbors might not be
disturbed.

In 1783, Beethoven published the first three
sonatas, dedicated to the Elector. A year after, he
was named second- organist, through the interven-
tion oi Neefe and Count Salm, but "without ap-
pointments." MaximiHan died in 1784, and Maxi-

milian of Austria, the brother of Marie Antoinette,
ruled in his stead. He at once began the work of
reforming the court-music. In a record of the day,
Johann is spoken of as a worn-out singer, " but he
has been long in service and is very poor." Lud-
wig is referred to as a possible successor to Neefe,
and they could secure him for about f6o a year.
" He is poor, very young, and the son of a court
musician." In July, 1 784, Ludwig was awarded
a salary of I60, although Neefe was not removed ;
and at the installation of the new Elector in i 785,
the boy, in court dress with sword at side, was
permitted to kiss the hands of his august master.

At that time Bonn was a sleepy town of about
10,000 inhabitants, who were chiefly priests and
people of the court. There were no factories ;
there was no garrison, and the only soldiers were
the body guard of the elector. The theatre was in
a wing of the palace. Strolling companies tarried
there for a season. Concerts, or " academies," as
they were called, were given in a hand-
some hall. The musicians lived bunched
together in a quarter of the town.
Franz Ries, the violinist; the horn
player, Simrock, the founder of the
publishing house ; the singing daughters
of Salomon; — these worthy people were
\ neighbors of the Beethovens. There
I were many skilled amateurs in society.
The Elector himself was passionately
.gih.ntic.teo fond of music ; he played the viola and
787 .nd 1789. the pianoforte.

There is a story that in 1771, Ludwig
made a concert tour in Holland, or at least played
in Rotterdam, but, with this possible exception, he
did not leave Bonn from his birth until the spring of
1787, and then he went to Vienna. The Elector
probably paid the expenses, and he gave him a letter
to Mozart. This great composer was apt to look
askew at any infant phenomenon. He listened at
first impatiently to the playing of Beethoven, but
when the latter invented a fantasia on a given
theme, Mozart said to the hearers, " Pay attention
to this youngster ; he will make a noise in the
world, one of these days." He gave the boy a few
lessons. There is a story that Beethoven also met
the Emperor Joseph. His stay was cut short by
lack of money and the news that his mother was
dying. In July, Franz Ries paid her burial ex-
penses. Johann kept on drinking, and his son, who

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

was now the head of the house, rescued him occa-
sionally from the hands of the police. In 1789 it
was decreed that a portion of the father's salary
should be paid to the son, and December 18,

Ludwig left Bonn for ever. The Elector realized
the extent of his genius, and gave him a small
pension. The political condition of France affected
the Rhenish town ; there was panic, and in October

the unfortunate man died. The Elector, in a letter there was a general exodus. His many friends

to Marshall Schall, pronounced this fiineral oration :
" Beethoven is dead ; it is a serious loss to the
duties on spirits,"

Ludwig looked afler the education of his brothers ;
Caspar learned music, and Johann was put under
the Court Apothecary. And now he found devoted
friends in Count Waldstein and the Breuning family.
The widow von Breuning was a woman of society,
accomplished and kind-hearted. She was one of
the few people who had an influence over the ac-
tions of Beethoven, and her in-
fluence was no doubt strengthened
by the sweetness of her daughter
Eleonore, He gave Eleonore les-
sons, and she in turn acquainted
him with the German poets, and
Homer and Shakespeare. Was he
in love with her ? We know that he
was of amorous temperament. Dr,
Wegeler, Stephen von Breuning,
Ries, Romberg, all bear witness that
he was never without an object of
passion in his heart. Mr, Thayer
says that we have no proof that
Beethoven loved her, but such
affairs are not often matters for c. Harnimn

cross-examination and a jury. No
doubt the susceptible young man was smitten
deeply with every fair girl he met, and in the
new-comer forgot the old flame. There was Miss
Jeannette d'Honrath of Cologne ; there was Miss
Westerhold, whose eyes he remembered for forty
years ; nor must pretty Babette Koch be forgotten,
the daughter of a tavern keeper, and afterward a
Countess. And so he passed his days in music,
conversation, and innocent pleasures. He went
with the Elector to Mergentheim ; at Aschaffenburg
he played in friendly rivalry with the Abb^ Sterkel.
It was at Mergentheim that the modest and unas-
suming pianist touched hearts by his telling, sug-
gestive, expressive improvisations; for so Chap-
lain Junker bore record. In 1792, Haydn passed
through Bonn on his return from London to Vienna,
and praised a cantata by Beethoven on the succession
of Leopold II., and in November of the same j'ear

bade Beethoven warm God-speed, and Count Wald-
stein in a letter prayed him to receive " through
unbroken industry from the hands of Haydn the
spirit of Mozart." Nearly twenty-two, he was
known chiefly by the remarkable facility of his ex-
tempore playing, and the record of his composi-
tions during the Bonn period is insignificant. At
the age of twenty-three, Mozart was famous as a
writer of operas, symphonies, cantatas, and masses,
and his pieces were in number about three hundred.
On his arrival at Vienna he
bought clothing and took dancing
lessons, that he might be an accept-
able guest in houses to which \\r.
was recommended by Count Wald-
stein. He never was able to
dance, by the way, for he could not
keep step to the music. The i zth
of December, he recorded the fact
that he had only about 835. The
Elector, fearing hard times, did not
fulfill his first promises, Beethoven
took a garret, — and afterwards
moved to a room on the ground-
floor — in a printer's house in the
n, in iBoi. Atscrvorstadt ; there he began a

student-life of three years. He
took lessons of Haydn, and although they drank
coffee and chocolate at Beethoven's expense, the
lessons were unsatisfactory, Haydn looked on
the pupil as a musical atheist, who had not the
fear of Fux before his eyes, and the pupil thought
that Haydn was not diligent and that he did not
correct carefully his mistakes, " It is true he gave
me lessons," he once said to Ries, " but he taught
me nothing," Then he took secretly lessons of
Schenk, and when Haydn went to London in 1794,
he put himself under the rigid disciplinarian
Albrechtsberger, He studied with Salieri the art
of writing for the voice and the stage. He also
took lessons on the viola, violin, violoncello, clarinet
and horn. There were a few exceptions, but Bee-
thoven was unpopular with his masters. They
considered him obstinate and arrogant. Haydn
spoke of him as "the great Mogul"; Albrechts-

LVDW/G VAN BEETHOVEN

3»3

berger once said, " He has learned nothing, and
will never do anything in decent style." Nor was
Beethoven's continual " / say it is right " calculated
to win the alTection of his masters.

Meanwhile Beethoven made influential friends,
Vienna at that lime numbered about 150,000 in-
habitants. The life was gay, even frivolous, Reich-
ardt considered the city a most agreeable dwelling
place for musicians. " You find there a rich, edu-
cated, and hospitable aristocracy, devoted to music ;
the middle class is wealthy and intelligent j and the

common people, jolly and good-natured, have al-
ways a song in the mouth." Princes hired orchestra
and singers for their own theatres. Others had
musicians in their employment, and even those in
moderate circumstances retained an organist or
pianist. These Viennese were the patrons of com-
posers who wrote especially for them. In common
with other South Germans they were pleased with
music that appealed to the heart rather than to the
brain, and the neighborhood of Italy influenced
their melodies and taste. This influence was also

BEETHOVEN AND MOZART.
minting In whkth Ih* twa »inp<

marked in the sympathetic performance of the Vi-
enna players, for the abandon and the swing were
opposed to the rigidity of Northern orchestras.
The amateurs were many and of the noblest fami-
lies. There was Van Swieten who bowed the knee
to Handel j Count Kinsky, whose son was in after
years the devoted friend of Beethoven; Prince
Lobkowitz, who played the violin and spent his for-
tune in the pursuit of musical pleasure ; the Ester-
hazy family; Von Rees and Von Meyer; and
princes and counts without number, in whose
houses symphonies, oratorios, and chamber music
were performed from manuscript. Public concerts

were then rare. The court opera house was devoted
to Italian opera ; at the Theatre Marinelli German
operettas were seen ; at the theatre an der Wien,
farces and operettas were given. The chief com-
posers in Vienna were Haydn, Silieri, Weizl,
Schenk, SQssmayr, Wranitzky, Kozeluch, Forster,
Eberl and Vanhall.

Two of the warmest friends of Beethoven were
the Prince Lichnowsky and his wife, formerly the
Countess of Thun. They mourned the death of
Mozart, and saw in Haydn's pupil a possible suc-
cessor. In 1794 they took Beethoven to their
house and humored him and petted him. They

3M

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

were childless, and their affection was spent on the
rude, hot-tempered, trying young man. The prin-
cess saw through the rugged exterior, and the stories
of her tact and forbearance are many. ** She would
have put me in a glass case that no evil might come
nigh me," said the composer in after years. In
their palace Beethoven was free in action and in
dress. He studied or gave lessons by day, and at
night he was associated with the Schuppanzigh
quartet — afterward the Rasoumoffsky (luartet —
the members of which met every Friday at Lich-
nowsky's house.

At this time he was chiefly known as a virtuoso,
and his first appearance in public was March 29,
1795, ^^ ^ concert at the Burgtheatre for the
benefit of the widows of the Society of Musicians.
An oratorio by Cartellieri was given, and Bee-
thoven played his pianoforte concerto in C major,
which was published six years after as Op. 15. At
rehearsal there was a difference of half a tone be-
tween the pitch of the pianoforte and that of the
orchestral instruments, and the composer played
the concerto in C shaip major. In the same year
he made a contract with Artaria for the publication
of his first three pianoforte trios. Two hundred and
forty-two copies were subscribed for, and the com-
poser netted about $400, a respectable sum at that
time, especially for the early works of a young man.

In 1 796 Beethoven went to Nuremberg, where he
met his Bonn friends, the Breuning brothers, and for
some reason not clearly known, they were arrested
at Linz by the police, but were quickly released.
On his return to Vienna he busied himself in over-
seeing the publication of sonatas (Op. 2), minuets
and variations. His brothers were in the city.
Johann, " tall, black, handsome, a complete dandy,"
found a place in an apothecary shop. Caspar,
" small, red-haired, ugly," gave music lessons. In
February Beethoven was in Prague and in Berlin,
the only occasion on which he visited " the Athens
of the Spree." Frederick William II. was gracious
to him, heard him play, and gave him a snuff-box
filled with gold pieces ; " not an ordinary box," as
Beethoven proudly said when he showed it, "but
such a one as they give to ambassadors." Beetho-
ven also met Prince Louis Ferdinand and compli-
mented him by saying, " you play Hke an artist, not
like a prince." He jeered at Himmel's improvisa-
tion, and Himmel in turn persuaded him that a
lantern had been invented for the benefit of the

blind. He saw Fasch and Zelter. When he re-
turned to Vienna the talk was of Napoleon conquer-
ing in Italy.

In 1797 Beethoven, through imprudent exposure
when he was heated, contracted a dangerous illness,
and Zmeskall relates that it " eventually settled in
the organs of hearing." He worked at his trade.
He entered into a contest with Wolfl, a virtuoso of
remarkable technique, and they vied with each
other in friendly spirit ; whereas in a similar and
later trial of skill between Beethoven and Steibelt,
the latter sulked at the power of his rival. In 1798
he met Prince Rasumowsky, Count Browne, Ru-
dolphe Kreutzer (who introduced him to Bemadotte,
the suggestor of the "Heroic" symphony and the
French ambassador), and in the following year he
saw Dragonetti, the great player of the double-bass,
who without doubt influenced him in his treatment
of that instrument, and Cramer the pianist. The
few recorded events of the next years are chiefly
connected with music. The septet and first sym-
phony were produced in 1800, and April 2 of the
same year Beethoven gave the first concert in Vi-
enna for his own benefit He had left the palace
of Prince Lichnowsky and lodged at No. 241 "im
tiefen Graben." In the fall he went into the coun-
try, the first instance of what was afterward his
settled custom. We know of no publication of
music by Beethoven in 1800. He finished the first
symphony, the septet (which he disliked), the string
quartets Op. 18, the C-minor concerto Op. 37, the
sonata Op. 22, and other works of less importance,
including the horn sonata for Punto. Czerny, ten
years old, met him some time in this year, and he
has left a curious description of him, although it was
written years after the meeting. He mentions the
" desert of a room — bare walls — paper and clothes
scattered about — scarcely a chair except the rick-
ety one before the pianoforte. Beethoven was
dressed in a dark gray jacket and trousers of some
long-haired material which reminded me of the de-
scription of Robinson Crusoe. The jet-black hair
stood upright on his head. A beard, unshaven for
several days, made still darker his naturally swarthy
face. He had in both ears cotton wool which
seemed to have been dipped in some yellow fluid.
His hands were covered with hair, and the fingers
were very broad, especially at the tips."

In 1 80 1 he was feehngwell and he worked hard.
His ballet " Prometheus" was given March 28 with

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

315

success. He changed his lodgings and dwelt in
the Sailer-Staetle, where he could look over the
town- ram parts. When the days lengthened, he
went to Hetzendorf, near the shaded gardens of
Schonbrunn, modelled after Versailles. "I live
only in my music," he wrote Wegeler, "and no
sooner is one thing done than the next is begun ; I
often work at three and four things at once." " The
Mount of Olives " ; the violin sonatas in A minor
and F ; the string quintet in C ; the pianoforte
sonatas, Op. 26, 17, 28, were completed in this year.

and other works were sketched. The so-called
"Moonlight Sonata" brings before us Giuletta
Guicciardi, to whom it was dedicated, and the ro-
mance connected with her.

The noble women of Vienna were fond of Bee-
thoven ; to say they adored him would not be ex-
travagant. They went to his lodgings or they re-
ceived him at their palaces. Even his rudeness
fascinated them ; they forgave him if he roared
angrily at a lesson, or tore the music in pieces ;
they were not offended if he used the snuffers as a

BEETHOVEN LEAQINQ THE PERFORMANCE C

tooth-pick. He, too, was constantly in love, but
there is no reason to doubt that his attachments
were honorable. " Oh God 1 let me at last find her
who is destined to be mine, and who shall strengthen
me in virtue," was his prayer. Vet Wegeler says,
that he fancied himself a Lovelace and irresistible.
He paraded his attachments in dedications. There
was the beautiful Hungarian Countess, Babette de
Keglevics ; the Countess Therese of Brunswick ;
Baroness lirtmann, the Countess Erdiidy; and
there were many others. In lesser station was
Christine Gherardi, and there was Madeleine Will-
man, the singer, who, it is said, refused Beethoven's

hand because he was " ugly and half-mad." But
his passion for the woman Giuletta Guicciardi
was deep-rooted, and it deserves more than passing
notice. Her family came originally from the Duchy
of Modena, and in 1800 her father went to Vienna,
an Imperial Counsellor. She was in her seventeenth
year, with dark blue eyes, waving brown hair, classic
features, and a stately carriage. She was then as
good as betrothed to Count tJallenberg, an impres-
sario and a composer of ballets, whom she married
in 1803. After Beethoven's death letters of an in-
coherent and a fiery nature were found in a secret
drawer, and it was supposed that they were ad-

3^6

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

dressed to the Guicciardi until the ruthless examin-
ation of them by Thayer. She herself made light
of the dedication by telling Jahn in later years that
Beethoven gave her the Rondo in G, but wishing to
dedicate something to Princess Lichnowsky, he gave
her the sonata instead. Beethoven, when he was
very deaf, wrote in bad French to his friend
Schindler (for his conversation was necessarily at
the time in writing) that he was loved by her ; that
he raised money for her husband ; and that when
she returned to Vienna from Italy, she looked Bee-
thoven up and wept; but he despised her. The
reader who wishes to investigate the subject and
read of her strange adventures with Prince Her-
mann Plickler-Muskau, even though illusions be
thereby dispelled, is referred to the chapter " Julia
Guicciardi " in " Neue Musikalische Charakter-
bilder" by Otto Gumprecht (Leipsic, 1876).

And in this year, 1801, the deafness, which began
with violent noise in his ears, grew on him. In
a letter to Wegeler, in which he speaks of a pen-
sion of about J 2 40, from Lichnowsky, he tells of
his infirmities. He connected the deafness with
abdominal troubles, with " frightful colic." He
went from doctor to doctor. He tried oil of
almonds and cold and warm baths. Pills and
herbs and blisters were of little avail. He inquired
into galvanic remedies. Zmeskall persuaded him
to visit Father Weiss, monk and quack. Discour-
aged, he still had the bravery to write, " I will as
far as possible defy my fate, though there must be
moments when I shall be the most miserable of
God's creatures. . . I will grapple with fate ; it shall
never drag me down." At the same time in telling
his sorrow to Carl Amenda he swore him sol-
emnly to secrecy.

Dr. Schmidt sent him in 1802 to Heiligeastadt, a
lonely village, and there he wrote the famous letter
known as ** Beethoven's Will," addressed to his
brothers, to be opened after his death (see page 331).
It is possible that this letter full of gloom and distress
was only the expression of momentary depression.
The music of this same year is cheerful, if not abso-
lutely joyous — the Symphony in D, for example —
and on his return to Vienna he wrote letters of mad
humor. He changed his lodgings to the Peters-
Platz, ir the heart of the city, where he was between
the be) & of two churches. He corrected publishers'
proof f , and was " hoarse with stamping and swear-
ing " on account of the errors, " swarming like fish

in the sea." He quarreled with his brother Gas-
par, who interfered in his dealings with publishers
and brought to light compositions of boyhood.

In April, 1803, a concert was given, the program
of which included " The Mount of Olives," the
Symphony in D, and the pianoforte concerto in C
minor, with the composer as pianist. The so-called
" Kreutzer Sonata " for violin and pianoforte, written
for the half-breed Bridgetower, was heard this year ;
there was a quarrel, and the now famous work was
dedicated to R. Kreutzer, who was in the train of
Bemadotte. In the summer, Beethoven went to
Baden near Vienna, and to Oberdobling, but before
he left the city he talked with Schikaneder about an
opera for the theatre ^^ An der IVien.'* He had
also changed his lodgings again and moved to the
said theatre with Caspar. The rest of the year,
however, was chiefly given to the composition of the
" Heroic " symphony, which was suggested to him in
1798 by Bernadotte. It is true that he went much
in society, associating with painters and officials,
and with the Abb^ Vogler ; he also began correspond-
ence with Thomson, the music publisher of Edin
burg, concerning sonatas on Scotch themes. At
the beginning of 1804, he was obliged to seek new
quarters, and he roomed with his old friend Stephen
Breuning m the Rothe Haus. At first they had
separate sets of rooms ; they then thought it would
be cheaper to live together. Beethoven neglected to
notify the landlord, and he was liable for the two
suites. Hence hot words and a rupture. The
breach was afterwards healed, but Breuning, who
apparently behaved admirably, wrote in a letter to
Wegeler of Beethoven's "excitable temperament, his
habit of distrusting his best friends, and his fre-
quent indecision. Rarely indeed, does his old true
nature now allow itself to be seen." At Dobling he
worked at the Waldstein Sonata and the Op. 54.
The " Bonaparte " Symphony was finished, and, ac-
cording to Lichnowsky, the title-page bore simply the
inscription " Buonaparte," and the name ** Luigi
van Beethoven." Beethoven had unbounded ad-
miration for Napoleon as long as he was First Con-
sul, and he compared him often with illustrious
Romans, but when the Corsican made himseli
Emperor of the French, the composer burst into
violent reproaches and tore in pieces the title page
of the Symphony. When the work was published
in 1806, the title announced the fact that it was
written " to celebrate the memory of a great man " ;

LVD WIG VAN BEETHOVEN

317

and when Napoleon was at St. Helena, Beethoven
once cried out, " Did I not foresee the catastrophe
when 1 wrote the funeral march in the Symphony ? "
When he went back to Vienna for the winter, he
lodged in a house of Baron Pasqiialati on the Mol-
ker-Bastion; these rooms were kept for him, even
when he occasionally moved for a season.

In 1805 Baron von Braun took Schikaneder as
manager of the " An der Wien," and they made
Beethoven an offer for an opera. The story of
Leonora suited the composer, although Bouilly'a text
had been already set by Gaveaux and Paer; he
worked diligently at his rooms in the theatre, and
later in the fields of Het-
zendorf. In the summer
he went to Vienna to see
Cherubini, In the fall the
operatic rehearsal began.
The singers and the orches-
tra rebelled at difficulties.
The composer was vexed
and angry. For the first
time he welcomed deaf-
ness. He did not wish to
hear his music "bungled."
" The whole business of the
opera is the most distress-
ing thing in the world."
The first performance was
November 20th, 1805.
Anna Milder, to whom
Haydn said, " Vou have a
voice like a house," was

the heroine. Louise Mul- beeti

ler was Marcellinc ; Dem- *"" * p"'""""""! i

mer, Floreslan ; Meyer,

Pizarro; Weinkopf, Don Fernando; Cac\\&,/aquino ;
Rothe, Rocco. The opera was then in three acts,
and the overture seems to have been " Leonora No.
II." The time was unfavorable. The French en-
tered Vienna the 13th of November; Napoleon
was at Schonbrunn ; nearly all of the wealthy and
noble patrons of Beethoven had fled the town.
The opera was played three nights and then with-
drawn — a failure. It was revised, shortened, and
with the overture " Leonora No. III.," it was again
performed March 29, 1806, and the- reception was
wanner. It was played April loth. Beethoven and
Braun quarreled, and Vienna did not hear " Fidelio "
for seven or eight years. Parts of the pianoforte

concerto in G and of the C-minor symphony, as
well as the two last of the Rasoumoflsky string
quartets Op. 59 were composed at this time.

Some months in 1806 were passed in visits.
Beethoven stopped at the country-seat of Count
Brunswick - — and some say that he was in love with
Therese, the sister, to whom he dedicated his fa-
vorite sonata Op, 78, and that the posthumous love
letters were addressed to her. He went to Silesia
to see Prince Lichnowsky. There were French
officers there who wished to hear him play, and
when he refused, the Prince threatened in jest to
lock him up. There was an angry scene, and Bee-
thoven, rushing back to
Vienna, da.shed a bust of
the Prince to pieces. The
4 th symphony was played at
a concert in March, 1807,
for Beethoven's benefit.
The subscriptions were as
liberal as the program,
which was made up of two
and a half hours cf or-
chestral music. Clementi
of London paid him {1,000
down for copyrights. And
so he had money and he
was cheerful. He worked
at the " Coriolan " overture,
and, it is believed, the
Pastoral and C-minor sym-
phonies. In September
the mass in C was brought
OVEN. out under the protection

iKiiii.on hr Gittfui. Qf Prince Esterhazy, who,

accustomed to Haydn's
music, said to Beethoven, " What, pray, have you
been doing now?" Hummel, the Chapel -master,
laughed, and there was no intercourse between the
composers for some time. In spite of the failure
of " Fidelio," Beethoven looked toward the theatre
and offered to supply one grand opera and one
oi>eretta yearly at a salary of about ^960 with
benefit performances, an offer that was rejected.
1807 saw the publication of the " Appassionata "
sonata and the thirty-two variations. The piano-
forte concerto in G and the Choral Fantasia were
performed in 1808.

The pension from the Elector had been stopped.
Prince Lichnowsky made Beethoven a small allow-

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

ance, and with this exception, the latter was depend-
ent on his own exertions. Some time in 1808
Jerome Bonaparte, King of Westphaha, offered

Beethoven the position o£ Mattre de ChapdU at
Cassel, with an annual salary, beside travelling ex-
penses, of ahout*i,50o. This led the Archduke Ru-
dolph, Prince Lobkowitz, and Prince Kinsky to give
a joint undertaking in March 1809 to secure Bee-
thoven 4,000 florins, payable half-yearly, a sum
nominally worth about ^2,000, and really about
Si,ooo; this was lessened by the depreciation of
the Austrian paper and the bankruptcy and the death
of Prince Kinsky. It was in this year that Beetho-
ven met young Moscheles, began relations with
Breitkopf and Hartel, negotiated with Thomson
about the hamioni/.ation of Scottish melodies, a
contract which in the course of years netted him
about )( 1, 000. The French were again in Vienna.
Wagram was fought. Beethoven, diiring the bom-
banlment of his town, was in a cellar, and dreading
the effect of the explosions on his hearing, called in
the aid of cushions. Haydn died in May, and there
is no hint of the fact in the letters or journals of
his quondam pupil. It was the year of the begin-

ning of the " Les Adieux " sonata
the departure of the Archduke.

May, 1810, was the date of the first performance
of the music to " F.gmont," probably in a private
house, and in this month Beethoven first saw Betdne
Brentano, " Goethe's child, who seemed the incar-
nation or the original of Mignon." With her he
fell in love, although she was betrothed to Count
Amim. The authenticity of the three letters which
she published in after years as his has been a sub-
ject of warm dispute. It was in this same year
that he contemplated marriage, and wrote for his
baptismal certificate. But the name of the possible
wife is unknown. Some have called her 'ITierese
von Brunswick ; others Therese Malfatti.

There was a rumor in Vienna in 181 1 that Bee-
thoven thought of moving to Naples in response
to advanWgeous offers. His income was lowered
by the depreciation in the value of the .Austrian
paper money. He suffered from headaches, his
feet were swollen, and he hoped that the climate of
Italy would bring relief. His physician did not
favor the plan. In 1812 the Brentanos lent Bee-
thoven about S920, and he tried the baths at Carls-
bad, Franzensbrunn, and Toplitz. At the latter
place he fell in love with Amalie Sebald, a soprano
from Berlin, about thirty years of age, handsome
and intellectual. The affection was deep and
mutual ; why the intimate relations did not lead to
marriage, is an insoluble problem. And here
Beethoven met Goethe, whom he reverenced ; but
the poet saw in him " an utterly untamed character."
The acquaintance did not ripen into friendship,
although Goethe recognized the "marvellous talent"
of the composer; Mendelssohn declared, however,
in a letter to Zelter, that the antipathy of the poet
to Beethoven's music was poorly disguised. Nor
on the other hand did the composer relish the self-
effacement of Goethe when he was in the presence
of royalty. In October he visited his brother
Johann at I.in/. and found him entangled tvilh a
woman ; he forceil him to marry her by threats of
arresting her and sending her to Vienna. 18(2
was the year of the composition of the Seventh and
Flight symphonies. Beethoven returned to Vienna
in gloomy spirits ; he was sick in bo<ly ; he
squabbled with his servants; Amalie Sebald wa?
ever in his mind.

The defeat of the French at Vittoria in 1813 pro-
voked the vulgar program-music, "Wellington's

LUDWIG VON BEETHOVEN

3»9

Victory," which was suggested also by Maelzel, the
famous mechanician; it enjoyed great popularity,
although Beethoven himself regarded it as " a stupid
affair." Spohr was in Vienna when Beethoven con-
ducted an orchestral concert, the program of which
included the 7th symphony in MS. and this
Battle Symphony. He and Mayseder, Salieri, Hum-
mel, Moscheles, Rombei^ and Meyerbeer were in
the orchestra. According to Spohr,
Beethoven at this time had only one
pair of boots, and when they were
repaired he was obliged to stay at home.
In 1816 the composer recorded in a
note-book that he had seven pairs.

In 1814 Anton Schindler first met
Beethoven. They grew intimate, and
five years later he lived with him as a
secretary. They quarreled, but they
were reconciled shortly before the death
of the composer, " Fidelio " was revived
the same year. The new overture (in
E) was included in the performance.
Prince Lichnowsky died before the
opera, which had undergone alteration,
was thus produced. Then came a quarrel
between Beethoven and Maelzel, which
worried sorely the composer, September
saw his triumph, when six thousand
people waxed enthusiastic at a concert
given by him in the Redouten-Saal.
There were royal and celebrated visitors,
drawn to Vienna by the Congress. Bee-
thoven wrote a cantata for the event.
" Der glorreUhe Augtnhlick " (" The
Cllorious Moment"), a work unworthy
of his reputation. He was made an
honorary member of the Academies of
London, Paris, Stockholm and Amsterdam. Vienna
gave him the freedom of the city. He was courted
in the drawing-rooms of the great. The Empress
Elizabeth of Russia made him a present of about
24,600. He bought shares of the Bank of Austria.

Caspar Carl Beethoven died in November, 1815,
and thus gave final and posthumous anxiety to his
brother Ludwig; for he left to him the care of his
son Carl. The mother of the eight- year-old boy
was not a fit person to rear him, and Caspar had
written his last wishes with an afTectionate reference
to Ludwig, who in fact had ministered generously
to bis wants and his caprices, and had thus spent

at least ?4,ooo. A codicil, however, restrained
the uncle from taking his nephew away from the
maternal house. The widow did not restrain her
passions even in her grief, and Beethoven appealed
to the law to give him control of the boy. There
were annoyances, changes of jurisdiction, and the
decree was not given in his favor until i8zo. It
was before the Landrechts court that Beethoven

pointed to his head and his heart, saying, "My
nobility is here and here " ; for the cause was in this
court on the assumption that the van in his name
was an indication of nobility. Owing to these law-
suits he composed but little ; still it was the period
of the great pianoforte sonatas Op. 1 06, Op. 1 09, Op.
I [o. He was in straitened circumstances. In 1816
bis pension was diminished to about S550. He
had quarreled again with Stephen Breuning. He
found pleasure in the thought that he was a father.
He was influenced mightily by the death of his
brother and the painful incidents th.it followed, not
only in his daily Hfe but in his work. At first

320

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

there was a time of comparative unproductive-
ness, and the cantata "Calm Sea and Happy
Voyage " and the song-cyclus " To the Absent
Loved-one/* with the pianoforte sonata Op. loi,
are the most important compositions between 1815
and 181 8. Texts for oratorios and operas were
offered him, but he did not put them to music.
In 1818 he received a grand pianofoite from the
Broadwoods, and there was vain talk of his going
to England.

His friend and pupil, the Archduke Rudolph,

r

was appointed Archbishop of Olmtitz in 18 18, and
Beethoven began in the autumn a grand Mass for
the Installation. The ceremony was in March, 1820 ;
the Mass was not finished until 1822 ; it was pub-
lished in 1827, and there were seven subscribers at
about $1 15 a copy ; among them were the Emperor
of Russia, the King of Prussia, and the King of
France. The summer and autumn of 18 18 and '19
were spent at Modling in the composition of the
Mass, relieved only by anxious thoughts about his
nephew. Sketches for the 9 th symphony date back
to 1817, and the theme of the scherzo is found in
18 15. This colossal work was in his mind together
with a tenth, which should be choral in the adagio
and the finale, even when he wrote the overture in C
for the opening of the Josephstadt Theatre in Vienna
and watched with fiery eyes Wilhelmine Schroder-
Devrient, the Leonora of the revival in 1822.
In this same year Rossini, sweeping all before him,
visited Vienna, and tried to call on Beethoven.
According to Azevedo the interview was painful
between the young man flushed with success and
the deaf and "almost blind" composer of the
Heroic Symphony. But Schindler affirms that
Beethoven succeeded in escaping the visits. The
operatic triumphs of Rossini and the thought of the
Schroder- Devrient again led him to meditate opera.
There were discussions concerning music to Goe-
the's " Faust," not in set operatic form, but inci-
dental airs, choruses, symphonic pieces and melo-
drama. In June, 1823, he was hard at work on
the Ninth Symphony. He passed whole days in
the open air at Hetzendorf, but his host, a baron,
was too obsequiously civil, and he moved to Baden,
where in the fall he received a visit from Weber.
The Philharmonic Society of London in 1822
passed a resolution offering Beethoven jQ^o for a
MS. symphony ; the money was advanced, and the
work was to be delivered in the March following.

Ries was in London in the fall of 1823, and
in September he heard from Beethoven that the
manuscript was finished, nevertheless there was
additional work on it after the return to Vienna ;
and according to Wilder, who quotes Schindler,
the finale was not written until Beethoven was
in his new lodgings in town, and the use of the
voices in Schiller's Ode was then first definitely
determined, although the intention was of earlier
date.

The Italians still tickled the ears of the Viennese,
who apparently cared not for German music, vocal
or instrumental. Beethoven looked toward Berlin
as the city where his solemn Mass and Ninth Sym-
phony (in spite of his arrangement with the Phil-
harmonic society of London) should be produced,
and he negotiated with Count Brlihl. This drove
finally the noble friends of Beethoven in Vienna to
send him an address praying him to allow the first
production of these new works to be in the city in
which he lived. Beethoven was moved deeply ; he
found the address ** noble and great." There were
the unfortunate misunderstandings that accompany
so often such an occasion. Beethoven was suspi-
cious, the manager of the Karnthnerthor theatre
where the concert was given was greedy, and the
music perplexed the singers and the players. Son-
tag and Ungher, who sang the female solo parts,
begged him to change certain passages, but he
would not listen to them. The 7th of May, 1824,
the theatre was crowded, with the exception of the
Imperial box; no one of the Imperial family was
present, no one sent a ducat to the composer.
The program was as follows : Overture in C (Op.
1 24) ; the Kyrie, Credo, Agnus and Dona Nobis
of the mass in D arranged in the form of three
hymns and sung in German, on account of the in-
terference of the Censure, as the word "mass"
could not appear on a theatre program ; the Ninth
Symphony. The public enthusiasm was extraordi-
nary. As Beethoven could not hear the plaudits
Caroline Ungher took him by the shoulders and
turned him about that he might see the waving of
hats and the beating together of hands. He bowed,
and then the storm of applause was redoubled.
After the expenses of the concert there were about
400 florins for Beethoven — about $200. The
concert was repeated and the manager guaranteed
500 florins. The hall was half- empty. The com-
poser was angry ; he at first refused to accept the

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN,
lllhogiaphic reproduction of a painting tncide by Stieler, in April, 1830.

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

guarantee ; and he accused his friends whom he
had invited to eat with him of conspiring to cheat
him.

Meanwhile his nephew, for whom he was willing
to make any sacrifice and for whose benefit he
labored incessantly and sold his manuscripts, neg-

game of billiards. On the return of Beethoven
from Baden to Vienna in 1824, the nephew entered
the University as a student of philology ; he failed
in a subsequent ejcamination ; he thought of trade ;
he failed in an examination for admission into the
Polytechnic school; and although in despair he
lected his studies and became an expert at the pulled the triggers of two pistols which he had

In the Schwara-Spanier house. From

BEETHOVEN'S STUOIO
T engraving by G. Le/bold of s drawing made three days after his death.

applied to his head, he failed to kill himself. He
then fell into the hands of the police, was ordered
out of Vienna, and joined the Austrian army.
After he was obliged to quit Vienna, the uncle and
the nephew in 1826 lived with Johann at Gneixen-
dorf. The surroundings were dreary; the stingy
sister-in-law of Beethoven refused him a fire; the

brother found that he must charge him for board
and lodging ; and the nephew was insolent. He
left the house in an open chaise and caught a cold
which settled in his abdomen. The result of the
journey was a sharp attack of inflammation of the
lungs and dropsy. For the sake of his nephew Bee-
thoven offered his manuscripts to publishers. Schott

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

333

bought the Mass in D for 1,000 florins and the
Ninth Symphony for 600 florins. A young man
named Hoitz helped the composer in his business
calculations and gained a strange influence over
him ; he even induced him to abandon occasionally
his customary sobriety. And yet these days of
business and anxiety saw the composition of the
last Quartets. Prince Nicholas de Galitzin of Saint
Petersburg begged three string-quartets with dedi-
cations from him ; he wrote to him in flattering
terms; he named his bankers. Beethoven fixed
the price at ?iis a quartet. The Prince ac-

knowledged the receipt of two (E-flat Op. 127
and A minor Op. 132) and regretted his delay in
answering ; " I now live in the depths of Russi*
and in a few days I shall go to Persia to fight."
He promised again to send the money. Beethoven
never received it, and the quartets were sold to
publishers. Ilie third, B-flat Op, 130, originally
ended with a long fugue which was afterward pub-
lished separately, and the new finale was written at
the dreary house of his brother, where he also
finished the quartet in F.

When he arrived at Vienna in December, 1826

THt ■SCHWARZ-SPANIE

he went immediately to bed in his lodgings in the
Schwarzspanierhaus. He had dismissed nidely
two eminent physicians who had treated him for a
former illness, and they would not now attend him.
His nephew, who was charged with the errand of
finding a doctor, played billiards and forgot the
condition of his uncle, so that two days went by
without medical assistance. Finally Dr. Andreas
Wawruch was told by a billiard-marker of the suf-
fering of the sick man. He went to him and dosed
him with decoctions. In a few days the patient
was worse, in spite of the great array of empty
bottles of medicine. Dropsy declared itself. He was
tapped by Dr. Seibert, and during one of the oper-

ations he said, " I would rather see the water flow
from my beliy than from my pen." Schindler and
Breuning came to his bedside, and with them young
Gerhard Breuning, the son of Stephen. This lad
now dwelled in the house with Beethoven as his
constant companion. Dr. Malfatti was persuaded
to forget his quarrels with the composer, and he
consented to act in consultation with Dr. Wawruch.
Beethoven saw his old friend gladly ; but he would
turn his back to Wawruch with the remark, " Oh,
the ass ! " Malfatti administered iced punch ; for
a short lime the patient seemed stronger, and he
talked of the lolh symphony. But in February,
1827, he was tapped for the fourth time ; his aristo-

324

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

cratic friends were forgetful of him, and even the
Archduke Rudolph did not interest himself by
cheap inquiry. In this same month Beethoven
wrote to Moscheles and Sir George Smart telling
them of his strait, and begging them to arrange for
a concert for his benefit. All this time he had the
seven bank shares of one thousand florins each that
were found with the two mysterious love letters in
a secret drawer of his writing desk, the day after
his death ; these shares he held for his scape-grace
nephew, whom he made his sole heir, although by
a codicil the capital was placed beyond his nephew's
control. The Philharmonic Society promptly sent
through Moscheles ;;^ioo on account of the future
concert, and promised more if it were necessary.
Unable to compose, Beethoven tried to read Sir
Walter Scott's " Kenilworth," but he threw it aside
and said, "The man writes only for money." He
saw " the divine fire " in some of Schubert's songs.
He wrote many letters, he arranged certain dedi-
cations of his works, and he found pleasure in a
lithograph of Haydn's birthplace, and in a set of
Handel's compositions in forty volumes, which had
been given him. The Rhine wine that he had asked
of Schott came too late. Hummel called on him in
March and introduced his pupil Ferdinand Hiller.
On the 19th of this month Beethoven felt the end,
and he said to Breuning and Schindler, "Piaudite,
amici, comoedia finita est^^ On the 23d he made
with his own hand the codicil above mentioned.
Several people called, among them Schubert, who
saw him but could not speak with him. The last
Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church were
administered to the dying man the 24th. Then
Beethoven wrestled with death until a quarter to six
on the evening of the 26th, when he gave up the
ghost. His sufferings were atrocious \ the final
agony was terrible. Just as he was delivered from
his earthly ills a tempest, a great storm of hail and
snow, burst over the roofs of Vienna. There was a
dazzling flash of lightning ; and the roaring thunder
roused Beethoven. He pulled himself up in his
bed, shook his fist at the sky, and fell back dead.
Anselm Hiittenbrenner and the wife of Johann
Beethoven were by his side.

The post mortem examination was made by
Doctors Wagner and Rokitansky. Wagner cut and
preserved the temporal muscles and the organs of
hearing. The body was dressed and exposed in the
room of the death. The lower jaw was not sus-

tained, and the face with its long hair and its beard
of three months' growth was savage.

The funeral was the 29th at three o'clock in
the afternoon. It was attended by an immense
crowd. Dr. Breuning estimated the number of per-
sons on the glacis and in the neighboring streets at
20,000. The coffin was placed on the shoulders of
eight members of the Imperial Opera. Eybler,
Hummel, Kreutzer, Weigl, Gyrowitz, Seyfried, Gans-
bacher and Wiirfel held the streamers of the can-
opy. There were thirty-two torch bearers, whose
left arms were wrapped in crape ornamented by
lilies and white roses. Among these torch bearers
were Czerny, Schubert and the giant I^blache. At
the head, after the crucifix, four trombone players
marched, and played alternately with the singing of
a choir of sixteen men the two Equali of the dead
composer. The crowd that followed was so enor-
mous that soldiers were summoned to force a way.
The ceremonies were held at the Church of the
Minorites, and the body was then put in a hearse
which was drawn by four horses to the Wahringer
cemetery. The gate was reached at the falling of
night, and the play-actor Anschlitz delivered an
address written by Grillparzer. Other poems were
read and distributed. Flowers and laurel wreaths
were heaped on the coffin when it was lowered to its
resting place.

The 3d of April the furniture, clothes and the
Graf and Broadwood pianofortes were sold at auc-
tion. The same day Mozart's Requiem was sung in
the Hofpfarrkirche of the Augustines, and Lablache
not only sang the solo bass but paid about |8o for
the cost of the singers. In November the musical
effects were sold at auction, and they brought about
1 200 florins. The total amount of money then was
about ^5,000.

In 1863 the Gesellschaft der Musik-Freunde
opened the tombs of Beethoven and Schubert and
reburied their bodies in leaden coffins. The 21st
of June, 1888, the body of Beethoven was removed
from the Wahringer cemetery and transferred to the
central cemetery of Vienna at Simmering. A
monument was raised in Bonn in 1845, chiefly
through the generosity and enthusiasm of Liszt. It
is by Hohnel, and it represents Beethoven stand-
ing, draped in a mantle. A colossal statue by Zum-
busch stands in one of the public places in Vienna,
in front of the Academic (gymnasium.

When the body of Beethoven was exhumed in

BEETHOVEN'S TOMB IN VIENNA CEMETERY.

From a photograph.

326

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

1863 ^^ impression and a photograph of his skull
were taken. The head was remarkable. The box
of bone was unusually thick ; the dimensions of the
forehead were extraordinary ; in height the forehead
came next to that of Napoleon, and in breadth it
surpassed it. His face was strong and sombre, and
while it was not without ugliness, it was expressive.
The head was built stoutly throughout. The com-
plexion was red and highly accented; though
Schindler tells us that it grew yellow in summer.
The hair was thick and rebellious ; it was originally
black, and in later years turned white. He shaved
cheeks, chin and upper lip, and he was as awkward
as Lord Macaulay with a razor. The eyes were
black, not large, and they shot forth a piercing flame
when he was excited. The nose was thick ; the jaw
was broad ; the mouth was firm, and with protrud-
ing lips; the teeth were white, well-shaped, and
sound, and when he laughed he showed them freely ;
the square chin rested on a white cravat. The
greater number of pictures of Beethoven are ideal-
ized. The most faithful likenesses are the miniature
by Homemann, taken in 1802, and sent by Bee-
thoven to Breuning in token of reconciliation ; the
drawing by Letronne, a French artist who was in
Vienna in 18 14; and the portrait by Schimon in
1 8 19. Two plaster masks were made; one by
Klein in 181 2; the other, a death-mask, by the
sculptor Dannhauser, from which Fortuny made an
etching.

Beethoven was below the middle height, not more
than five feet h\Q inches ; he was broad-shouldered,
sturdy, with legs like columns. He had hairy hands,
short fingers, with square ends as though they had
been chopped. His movements were without grace
but they were marked by their quickness. He was
awkward in holding playing cards ; he dropped
everything that he took in his hands. When he
first went about in Vienna he dressed in the fashion,
with silken stockings, a peruke, long boots and a
sword. In later years he wore a blue or dark green
coat with copper buttons, a white waistcoat and a
white cravat ; and he carried an eyeglass. His felt
hat was on the back of his head so that it touched
his coat collar, as in the sketch of him by Lyser.
His hat was often shabby and it excited the
attention of loungers as he amused himself by stroll-
ing aimlessly in the streets, and by peering into
the shop windows. The skirts of the coat were
heavy laden : there would be within them an ear-

trumpet, a carpenter*s pencil, a stitched-book for
use in his written conversation, a thick blank-book
in quarto form, in which he jotted down vagrant
thoughts and musical ideas. A pocket handkerchief
would hang down to the calves of his legs, and the
pockets bulged until they showed the lining. He
would walk in deep meditation ; talk with himself ;
at times make extravagant gestures.

He was simple in certain ways, easily gulled;
so absent-minded that he once forgot he was the
owner of a horse. He could appreciate wit, al-
though he preferred rough jokes and horse play.
He enjoyed pranks at the expense 6i others. He
threw eggs at his cook and poured the contents of
dishes over the heads of waiters. He was often
brutal and rude in his speech to unoffending friends
and strangers. The reproach of his being absurdly
suspicious may be laid perhaps to his deafness.
The son of a drunkard, he was on the whole ab-
stemious ; at the tavern he would sit apart with a
glass of beer and a long pipe, and there he would
brood. Of restless nature, he shifted constantly
his lodgings, often with a whimsical excuse. He
was fond of washing himself. He ate greedily badly
cooked food whenever it occurred to him that he
was hungry; and his digestion suffered thereby.
He was fond of a panada with fresh eggs, maca-
roni sprinkled thickly with cheese of Parma, and
fish. His favorite drinks were cool and pure water,
and coffee which he prepared in a glass machine
with extreme care, with sixty beans in a cup. It
is said that in later years his table manners were
beyond endurance. When he tried house-keeping
for the sake of his nephew he was in continual
trouble with his servants. He had little or no sense
of order.

But the life of Beethoven, the man, was not
merely a chronicle of small-beer, a record of shift-
ing of lodgings, quarrels, rude sayings and personal
discomforts. His character was a strange compound
of greatness and triviality. The influence of her-
edity, the early unfortunate surroundings, the physi-
cal infirmity that was probably due to the sins of
his fathers, the natural impatience of a man whose
head was in the clouds with the petty cares of daily
life : — all these unfitted him for social intercourse
with the gallant world in which he was, however, a
welcomed guest. He was afraid of elegance or he
disdained it. Frankness, that was often another
name for brutality, was dear to him, and he saw no

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328

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

wrong in calling men and women who talked when
he played " hogs." He was proud, and his pride
was offended easily. He was sure of his own work,
he would therefore brook no contradiction ; irritable,
he was inclined to quarrel. He preferred nature to
man, and was never so happy as when walking and
composing in the open. In fields and woods he
meditated his great compositions. Winter and
summer he rose at the breaking of day and began
to write, but in heat or cold, rain or sunshine, he
would rush out suddenly for air. Yet dear as light
and air were to him, the twilight was his favorite
hour for improvising.

He used to read the Augsburg newspaper, and
he was fond of talking of politics. It was a time of
political unrest. Beethoven revered the heroes of
Plutarch; the leaders in the American revolution;
Napoleon Bonaparte as long as he was First Consul.
A bronze statue of Brutus was on his work-table.
It is not necessary, then, to add that he was a re-
publican by sentiment. He dreamed of a future
when all men should be brothers, and the finale of
the Ninth Symphony is the musical expression of
the dream and the wish. We have seen his fondness
for women. There is no proof however that he
was ever under the spell of an unworthy passion.
A wife was to him a sacred being ; and in an age
when unlimited gallantry was regarded as an in-
dispensable characteristic of a polished gentleman,
Beethoven was pure in speech and in life. He was
even prudish in his desire to find an untainted
libretto for his music, and he could not understand
how Mozart was willing to accept the text of " Don
Giovanni." He was born in the Roman Catholic
faith, and just before his death he took the Sacra-
ment ; but in his life he was rather a speculative
deist. His prayer book was "Thoughts on the
works of God in Nature," by Sturm. It was diffi-
cult for him to separate God from Nature. Many
passages in his letters show his sense of religious
duty to man and God, and his trust and his humility.
He copied out and kept constantly on his work-
table these lines found by Champollion Figeac on
an Egyptian temple :

I am that which is.

I am all that is, that has been, and that shall be ; no
mortal hand has lifted my veil.

He is by himself and it is to him that everything owes
existence.

Although his education had been neglected sadly

in his youth, he was not without literary culture.
He could not write a legible hand ; — indeed, he
himself described his chirography as " this cursed
writing that I cannot alter " ; his letters are often
awkwardly expressed and incorrect ; but they also
abound in blunt directness, in personal revelation,
and in a rude and overpowering eloquence. In his
reading he was first enthusiastic over Klopstock ; he
soon wearied of the constant longing of that poet
for death and abandoned him for Goethe. He was
familiar with Schiller and the German poets that
were his own contemporaries. His literary idols
were Homer, Plutarch, and Shakespeare. He read
the latter in the translation by Eschenburg, which he
preferred to that by Schlegel ; this translation was
in his library, and it was thumbed by incessant read-
ing. Schindler says that Plato's "Republic" was
" transfused into his flesh and blood." He was an
insatiable reader of histories. At the house of Mrs.
Von Breuning in Bonn he was guided in a measure
by the brother of his hostess. He knew Milton,
Swift and other English writers in the translations,
and he was kindly disposed thereby toward England
and Englishmen. It is not so easy to discover his
opinions concerning music from the few works
found in his library, nor would it be wise to argue
from the chance collection. There was a volume
of pieces taken from the compositions of Palestrina,
Vittoria, Nanini and other Italians. He had but
little of Sebastian Bach, who was then known chiefly
as the author of " The Well-tempered Clavichord."
He owned a portion of the score of " Don Giovanni "
and a few of Mozart's piano-forte sonatas ; he pre-
ferred, however, the sonatas of Clementi, which he
praised extravagantly. He was not ashamed to call
himself the pupil of Salieri. He held Gyrowetz and
Weigl in sincere esteem. Prejudiced at first against
Weber, who had written violent critical articles
against him, he changed his opinion after a more
careful examination of " Der Freischiitz," in which
he found " the claw of the devil " side by side with
"singular things." "I see what he intends, but in
reading certain pages, such as the infernal chase, I
cannot help smiling. After all, the effect may be
right ; it is necessary to hear it ; but alas, I can no
longer hear ! " He was undoubtedly jealous of Ros-
sini ; " Fortune gave him a pretty talent and the
gift of inventing agreeable melodies " ; but he
thought him no better than a scene-painter and ac-
cused him of a want of learning. Of all composers

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FAMOUS COMPOSERS

he appears to have most admired Handel dead and
Cherubini, his contemporary. In a letter that was
written by him to that great Italian- French composer,
who is too much neglected in these restless days, Bee-
thoven assured him that he put his operas above
all other works for the stage ; that he took a more
lively interest in one of his new compositions than
in his own ; that he honored and loved him ; that
if it were not for his deafness, he would go to Paris
that he might see him ; and he begged him to con-
sider him as worthy of ranking in the number of
true artists. Of Handel he said, and shortly be-
fore his death, "This is the incomparable master,
the master of masters. Go to him, and learn how
to produce, with few means, effects that are like a
thunder-clap."

But no collection of Beethoviana, no affidavits to
the truth of anecdotes and conversations, no photo-
graphic, no phonographic record of his daily life can
give a just idea of the character of this extraordi-
nary man. Its grandeur, titanic in its aspirations,
is best seen or felt in the music that was to him the
true organ of speech. To comprehend, to appre-
ciate Beethoven, the full knowledge of his composi-
tions is necessary ; and to the temperament of the
composer must be added the corresponding tem-
perament of a fit hearer. The Beethoven that has
voiced the longings, the joys and the sorrows of
humanity was not merely the man who walked in the
streets of Vienna, not even the being to whom each

tree sang the trisagion. The petty failings and the
personal virtues of the individual assume in his music
gigantic, supernatural proportions. In his life pas-
sion, tenderness, pride, arrogance, despair, tumul-
tuous joy, fancy that was at times grotesque, gayety
that often was clowning were strangely mingled ;
just as in " King Lear " the broken-hearted old man
and the faithful fool defy together the raging of the
elements. To the easy-going, amour-hunting citi-
zen of Vienna Beethoven no doubt appeared, as to
Rochlitz, " a very able man, reared on a desert is-
land and suddenly brought fresh into the world."
But to the faithful student of his life and works he
seems one of the great high-priests of humanity. To
the Beethoven of later years, shut off from the
world, lonely and full of sorrow, the conceiver of
unearthly music such as was never heard before, the
sonorous hymn of the Opium Eater over the mys-
tery known among men as Shakespeare might well
be chanted :

** O mighty poet ! Thy works are not as those of
other men, simply and merely great works of art, but
are also like the phenomena of nature, like the sun and
the sea, the stars and the flowers, like frost and snow,
rain and dew, hailstorm and thunder, which are to be
studied with entire submission of our own fjeiculties, and
in the perfect faith that in them there can be no too
much or too little, nothing useless or inert, but that, the
farther we press in our discoveries, the more we shall
see proofs of design and self supporting arrangement
where the careless eye had seen nothing but accident ! "

n^^if,Ht^

BEETHOVEN'S WILL

•* TO MY BROTHERS CARL AND . To be read and acted upon after my death,''

••To MY Brothers Carl and Beethoven:

♦« O ye who think or say that I am rancorous, obstinate or misanthropical, what an injustice you do me ! You
little know the hidden cause of my appearing so. From childhood my heart and mind have been devoted to
benevolent feelings, and to thoughts of great deeds to be achieved in the future. But only remember that for six
years I have been the victim of a terrible calamity aggravated by incompetent doctors ; led on from year to year by
hopes of cure, and at last brought face to face with the prospect of a lingering malady, the cure of which may last
for years, or may be altogether impossible. Born with an ardent, lively temperament, fond of social pleasures, I
was early compelled to withdraw myself, and lead a life of isolation from all men. At times when I made an effort
to overcome the difficulty, oh how cruelly was I frustrated by the doubly painful experience of my defective hearing \
And yet it was impossible for me to say to people, ' Speak louder; shout, for I am deaf.' Ah, how was it possible
I could acknowledge weakness in the very sease which ought to be more acute in my case than in that of others —
a sense which at one time I possessed in a perfection to which few others in my profession have attained, or are
likely to attain. Oh, this I can never do ! Forgive me, then, if you see me turn away when I would gladly mix
with you. Doubly painful is my misfortune, seeing that it is the cause of my being misunderstood. For me there
can be no recreation in human intercourse, no conversation, no exchange of thoughts with my fellow-men. In soli-
tary exile I am compelled to live. Whenever I approach strangers I am overcome by a feverish dread of betraying
my condition. Thus has it been with me throughout the past six months I have just passed in the country. The
injunction of my intelligent physician, that I should spare my sense of hearing as much as possible, well accorded
with my actual state of mind ; although my longing for society has often tempted me into it. But how humbled
have I felt when some one near me has heard the distant sounds of a flute, and I have heard fiothing; when some
one has heard a shepherd singing, and again I have heard nothing! Such occurrences brought me to the border of
despair, and I came very near to putting an end to my own life. Art alone restrained me ! Ah ! it seemed impos-
sible forme to quit this world forever before I had done all I felt I was destined to accomplish. And so I clave to
this distressful life ; a life so truly miserable that any sudden change is capable of throwing me out of the happiest
condition of mind into the worst. Patience ! 1 must now choose her for my guide ! This I have done. I hope
to remain firm in my resolve, until it shall please the relentless Fates to cut the thread of life. Perhaps I shall get
better; perhaps not. I am prepared. To have to turn philosopher in my twenty-eighth year! It is no easy task
— harder for the artist than for any one else. O God, Thou lookest down upon my inward soul ; Thou knowest,
Thou seest that love for my fellow-men, and all kindly feelings have their abode there !

•♦ O ye who may one day read this, remember that you did me an injustice; and let the unhappy take heart
when he finds one like himself who, in spite of all natural impediments, has done all that was in his power to secure

for himself a place in the ranks of worthy artists and men. My brothers, Carl and , as soon as I am dead

request Dr. Schmidt in my name, if he be still alive, to describe my disease, and to add to these pages the history
of my ailments, in order that the world, so far at least as is possible, may be reconciled to me after my death.

** Hereby I declare you both to be heirs of my little fortune (if it may so be called). Divide it honestly;
bear with and help one another. The injuries you have done me I have, as you know, long since forgiven. You,
brother Carl, I thank specially for the attachment you have shown towards me in these latter days. My wish is
that your life may be more free from care than mine has been. Recommend Virtue to your children. She alone,
not money, can give happiness. I speak from experience. It was she alone who raised me in the time of trouble ;
and I thknk her, as well as my art, that I did not seek to end my life by suicide. Farewell, and love one another.

I thank all friends, especially Prince Lichnowsky and Professor Schmidt. The instruments from Prince L

I should like to be kept by one of you ; but let there be no quarreling between you in regard to this. As soon as
you can turn them to more useful purpose, sell them. How happy shall I be if even when in my grave I can be
useful to you !

*♦ And thus it has happened. Joyfully I hasten to meet death. Should he come before I have had the oppor-
tunity of developing the whole of my artistic capacity, he will have come too soon in spite of my hard fate, and I
shall wish he had come a little later. But even in that case I shall be content. Will he not release me from a
state of endless misery? Come when thou wilPst ! 1 go to meet thee with a brave heart. Farewell, and do not
quite forget me even in death ! I have deserved this, since during my lifetime I have often thought of you, and
tried to make you happy. So be it. Ludvig van Beethoven.

** I/eiiigensiadty (Uh October, 1802."

** Heiligenstadt, \oth October, 1802. — So I take leave of thee sorrowfully enough. Even the cherished hope,
which I brought here with me of being cured, at least to a certain extent, has now utterly forsaken me. It has
faded like the fallen leaves of autumn. Almost as I came here so do I depart. Even the lofty hope that upheld
me during the beautiful summer days has vanished. O Providence ! let one more day of pure joy be vouchsafed to
me. The echo of true happiness has so long been a stranger to my heart ! — When, when, O God ! shall I again
be able to feel it in the temple of nature and of man ? Never? — no ! — O that were too hard ! "

331

FIGURE OF BEETHOVEN ON VIENNA MONUMENT.
Eiecuted by Zunibusch Fiom a photogiaph. iSee page 339.)

THE DEAFNESS OF BEETHOVEN

NE of the most painful of human
spectacles is an jotellect dominated
by a physical ailment, a mind cap-
able of the wise and useful exercise,
of its powers enthralled or checked
in its peripheral expression by some imperfection
in the machinery in the midst of which it has its
temporary abiding -place.

The mental effects o( bodily disease, in which
the organs of special sense are concerned, have
been nowhere more carefully noted than in the
cases of those whose aptitude for some particular
line of intellectual process has raised them above
the average of their fellows, and the biographies of
celebrated men seldom fail to record some instance
of those ills to which flesh is heir and to make
deductions therefrom as to its influence upon the
life-work of the individual.

There is no more pathetic picture than that of
Beethoven ia his later years, at an age when he
should have been in the perfection of his physical
manhood, deaf to overwhelming applause or striking
in tumultuous discord the piano which to him was
dumb.

References to this deafness, which was to Bee-
thoven such a calamity, have been carefully studied
and recorded by his various biographers, and occur
nowhere more graphically than in those remarkable
letters which give, without the need even of reading
between the lines, so clear an exposition of the man
as he was, as he aspired, and as he suffered. There
has been as yet however no attempt to collate this
evidence with a view to making a precise diagnosis
of his case or with reference to the possible in-
fluence which the infirmity may have had upon his
disposition, his habit of thought or possibly even
upon the character of his compositions.

" It is hard to arrive," says drove, " at any cer-
tain conclusion on the nature and progress of Bee-
thoven's deafness owing to the vagueness of the
information; difficulty of hearing appears to have
shown itself about 1 798 in singing and buzzing in his
ears, loss of power to distinguish words though he
could hear the tones of voice, and great dislike to
sudden loud noise j it was even then a subject of the

greatest pain to his sensitive nature; like Byron
with his club-foot he lived in morbid dread of His
infirmity being observed, a temper which often kept
him silent, and when a few years later he found him-
self unable to hear the pipe of a peasant playing at
a short distance in the open air, it threw him
into the deepest melancholy, and he wrote the well-
known letter to his brother in 1802, which goes by
the name of his Will." The above passage is really
an epilomization of Beethoven's case, and, in con-
nection with the collateral evidence and viewed in
the light of our present knowledge of aural dis-
ease, plainly sets forth the progress as well as the
character of his disorder, the exciting cause of which
must ever remain a question, though the inference
from the course of his disease, from the report of
the post-mortem examination and from the evidence
afforded by Dr. Bartolini, is at least permissible,
that Beethoven's deafness originated, in part at least,
in a constitutional disorder which may have been
one of his inheritances from his father. Be that as
it may, it is shown that he first became definitely
aware of his infirmity when he was twenty-eight
years of age, that his attention was first drawn to it
and his appreciation of it subsequently heightened
by the concomitant symptom of subjective noises
in the ears, rushing and roaring sounds which he de-
signates as " sausen " and " brausen"; this symptom,
common to many forms of aural disease, occurs in
such cases as that of Beethoven's only after the
changes in the ear have already become well estab-
lished, it marks a definite stage in the progress
of the malady and is explainable as follows : the '
normal circulation of blood through the blood-
vessels is productive of sound, precisely as is the
flow of water or other fluid through pipes ; these
sounds vary in pitch and in intensity in proportion
to the size of the blood vessels and the rapidity of
flow of the circulating fluid ; in the smaller blood-
vessels such as are found in the immediate vicinity
of the perceptive portion of the human ear the
flow of the blood is continuous and not rhythmic in
response to the impulse from the heart as is the
case in the larger arteries; the sound resulting
from the circulation in the smaller blood vessels of

334

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the ear is a high pitched singing ranging from a
tone of about 15000 v.s. to one of 45000 v.s.
while the sounds produced by the larger vessels
are very much lower in pitch; these sounds are
present in normal conditions, but are not noticed
because the adjustment of the sound-transmitting
portion of the human ear, the drum head, the chain
of small bones and the adjacent parts is such that
sounds of this class, within certain limits of intensity,
may be transmitted directly outward and pass un-
noticed; in the event, however, of structural
changes which interfere with the mobility of this
sound-transmitting apparatus, the circulation sounds
are retained within the ear and become appreci-
able. This does not occur however in chronic pro-
gressive cases such as was Beethoven's until the
disease, insidious in its onset, is already well ad-
vanced, so that while the first mention of the
impairment of hearing and of the subjective noises
is made in 1798, it is more than probable that the
disease had been at that time several years in pro-
gress.

Taking these facts in connection with the other
symptoms already mentioned, difficulty of distin-
guishing words and the dread of sudden loud
noises, a definite clinical picture is presented which
taken in its entirety permits the diagnosis of a
chronic progressive thickening of the mucous mem-
brane lining the cavity of the middle ear and of
the passages leading therefrom to the throat.

For a better understanding of the case it is neces-
sary to recall briefly the structure of that portion of
the ear affected, namely, the drum membrane placed
at the bottom of the outer canal of the ear to re-
ceive the sound waves transmitted through that pas-
sage and in turn to transmit them through the three
small bones which form a chain of communication
with the internal or perceptive portion of the ear ;
the drum membrane forming the boundary between
the outer passages and the middle ear, the latter
cavity communicating by means of the Eusta-
chian tube with the upper part of the throat
and being lined throughout with mucous membrane
continuous with that in the latter cavity ; in the mid-
dle ear this mucous membrane, very delicate and
rich in blood vessels, not only lines the middle ear
cavity but forms the inner coat of the drum-mem-
brane and also covers the small bones, their articu-
lations and attachments, one of these latter being a
muscle, the tensor tympani, which by its contrac-

tion renders all the sound -transmitting apparatus
more tense. It is easily appreciable that a gradual
thickening of this mucous membrane would result in
a progressive impairment of the sound-transmitting
apparatus, with a corresponding decrease in its
power of transmitting sound waves not only from
without inward but from within outward. This in-
terference would be first noticed in the transmis-
sion of such short sound waves of slight impulse as
occur in instruments of high pitch or such as make up
the qualitative overtones of the human voice and
it was therefore at a comparatively early period in
his disease that Beethoven failed to hear the distant
sound of the flute, and of the shepherd singing,
and to distinguish the difference in the more delicate
modulations of the voices of his friends.

The distress induced by exposure to loud noises
is also accounted for by the fact that the compara-
tive rigidity of the sound transmitting apparatus de-
prived the deeper sensitive portion of the ear of the
protection normally afforded it by the elastic struc-
ture capable of taking up and dispersing the exces-
sive impulse and by the further fact that the con-
traction of the tensor tympani muscle, which con-
traction is an almost invariable accompaniment of
certain chronic diseases of the middle ear, served to
still further impair the mobility of the drum-head
and ossicles.

Later and numerous references to his deafness
scattered throughout his letters and recorded by his
friends and associates all point, with one exception,
to the steady, pitiless progress of a disease, at
that time unamenable to treatment, which finally to-
tally deprived him of the sense most important to
the musician ; the one exception in question is that
recorded by Charles Neate as heard from Beetho-
ven's own lips in 1815, and is to the effect that in a
fit of anger Beethoven threw himself upon the floor,
and on arising found himself practically deaf in his
right ear. There was no explanation of this occur-
rence offered, but, taken in connection with the re-
port of the autopsy, it is apparent that the sudden
loss of hearing in the right ear was the result either
of a form of apoplexy of the labyrinth such as occurs
in connection with the more advanced stages of
chronic catarrh of the middle ear, or was due to a
peculiar affection of that portion of the internal ear
devoted to sound perception and consequent upon
constitutional disease.

Setting aside this incident, it may be noted that,

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

335

while himself aware of the gradual increase of his
deafness, it was not until eight years later, in 1806,
that it became especially appreciable to others, after
which time its increase was so rapid that it could no
longer be kept secret ; the degree of the disability
varying with his general condition, but its progress
being always downward, in 1 8 1 5 it had so increased
that he abandoned his proposed visit to England,
and before his death the hearing had become so
much affected that his playing ceased to charm, he
would play so loudly at times as to break the strings
or drown soft passages of the right hand by striking
the keys accidentally with the left, while the hearing
for his own voice even had become so imperfect
that he spoke with unnatural loudness and deficient
modulation.

The influence of this almost life-long malady upon
his disposition cannot be estimated without taking
into consideration the nervous strain which the im-
pairment of so important a sense would induce in a
person of Beethoven's temperament ; to the mental
effects of apprehension of future evil and the dis-
appointments due to the futility of his efforts at
obtaining relief must be added the purely physical
consequences of the natural attempt at compen-
sation which results in what may be denominated the
fatigue of deafness. Normally we possess double
the amount of hearing ordinarily required for the
uses of life, and it is possible therefore to lose one
half of the fullest amount of hearing without being
appreciably affected by the loss. Ordinarily, there-
fore, our hearing-power is exercised without con-
scious exertion, but when this sense becomes im-
paired to a certain degree, an effort at hearing is
necessary because of the loss of the sound of the
more delicate qualitative overtones, such for in-
stance as those which make the difference between
the parts of speech most nearly resembling each
other; to help out this deficiency the sight is
called upon to watch the motion of the lips, and still
later by a conscious effort those parts of a sen-
tence which have been lost to hearing and have
failed of detection by sight are mentally filled in
from the context, three distinct brain processes

being thus required to afford the information which
came before unconsciously of effort.

That such a nervous strain was part of the inflic-
tion which Beethoven suffered, is shown by his in-
creasing disinclination for social intercourse and
a tendency to lead as he says a life of isolation
from all men. "You cannot believe," writes his
friend Stephan von Breuning, "what an inde-
scribable impression the loss of hearing has made
upon Beethoven ; imagine the effect on his excitable
temperament of feeling that he is unhappy, then
comes reserve, mistrust often of his best friends, and
general irresolution. Intercourse with him is a real
exertion, as one can never throw off restraint."

Undoubtedly his deafness, with the consequent
isolation from his fellows, had the effect of increasing
the morbid peculiarities which were his inheritance,
and of all his portraits extant there is none which
so distinctly shows the face of the deaf man as that
painted by his friend Maler, Vienna, 181 2.

" Beethoven's deafness," says Goethe, " has not
hurt so much his musical as his social nature." '

Indeed it may be questioned if his musical nature
were affected at all other than favorably by his in-
firmity. His art was greater than the man, or rather
the man in his art was greater than himself; his
deafness, even by shutting him within, seems to have
increased his individuality, for, from the time of its
absolute establishment onward his compositions grew
in musical and intellectual value, and each genera-
tion finds in them something new to study and to
appreciate. He wrote not for his time alone but for
all time, and from what we can learn of his life
and of the influence of his infirmity upon his char-
acter, we are glad to believe that through all the
clouds which overcast his career Beethoven's tran-
scendent genius shone supreme, superior to circum-
stance, and that the world is left none the poorer,
possibly the richer, because of the misfortunes which,
while they developed the peculiarities and intensified
the faults of the individual, served but to enclose
and protect the intellect too great to be bounded
or controlled by the limitations of a saddened life.

J^^Jw (^ /Ivh^i^^h;

Fac-simile autograph musical manuscript written by Beethoven. Opening measures of Pianoforte Sonata in A fiat, Op. 26.

BEETHOVEN AS COMPOSER.

|HE greatest of all instrumental
composers began his career as a
pianoforte virtuoso, and his earlier
compositions are chiefly for that
instrument. During the first years
of Beethoven in Vienna, he was more conspicuous
as a virtuoso than as a composer, and it is said that
Haydn prophesied greater things of him as a per-
former than a creator of music. The older master
could not foresee that Beethoven's influence was des-
tined to live in his epoch-making concertos, trios and
sonatas, rather than in his wonderful piano playing.
His superiority at Bonn as at Vienna was not so much
in display of technical proficiency as in the power
and originality of improvisation. When he was
only eleven years of age Carl Ludwig Junker heard
the boy play, and wrote in most enthusiastic terms
of the inexhaustible wealth ot his ideas ; he also com-
pared him with older players of distinction and pre-
ferred Beethoven on account of his more expressive,
passionate performance, that spoke directly to the
heart. And so Czerny described his improvisation
as " most brilliant and striking ; in whatever com-
pany he might chance to be, he knew how to pro-
duce such an effect upon every hearer, that fre-
quently not an eye remained dry, and listeners
would break out into loud sobs ; for in addition to
the beauty and the originality of his ideas, and his
spirited style of rendering them, there was some-
thing in his expression wonderfully impressive."
Ries and many others bear similar testimony.
There were other pianists of great parts who lived
in Vienna or were heard there : Steibelt, Wolffl, and
especially Hummel. But whenever Beethoven met
them in friendly or fierce rivalry, he conquered by
richness of ideas, by variety of treatment and by in-
tense musical individuality, although he extempo-
rized in regular "form." Hummel excelled him
undoubtedly in purity and elegance, and Wolffl had
extraordinary mechanism. They excited lively ad-
miration, but Beethoven moved the hearts of his
hearers. This power was greater than even his
feats of transposing, his skill in reading scores, or
such tricks as turning the 'cello part of a quintet
upside down and then extemporizing from the curious
theme formed thereby. We are told that he was

very particular as to the mode of holding the hands
and placing the fingers, in which he followed
Emanuel Bach ; his attitude at the pianoforte was
quiet and dignified, but as his deafness increased he
bent more and more toward the keys. He was,
when he played, first of all a composer, and in his
maturity, the "composer's touch," distinguished his
playing. Czerny said that he produced wonderful
effects by the use of the legato cantabile. He was,
as a rule, persuaded easily to improvise — at least
in his younger days — but he did not like to play
his own compositions, and only yielded to an ex-
pressed wish when they were unpublished. It is also
said that he interpreted his own compositions with
freedom, although he observed rigorously the beat.
And he made often a profound impression in a
crescendo by retarding the movement and not accel-
erating it.

The compositions of Beethoven have been divided
by many writers into three periods, and this division
has been followed with absurd precision and has
been as unjustly ridiculed. There were three pe-
riods, however, but they are not to be sharply de-
fined ; they correspond in general to the life-periods
of youth, maturity, and old age. In his earlier
works, he followed in some degree the path laid out
by Haydn and Mozart; in his middle period, he
appeared in the full strength and maturity of his
wonderful originality ; finally, in his last period, he
revealed himself as a prophet and dreamer of un-
earthly things. But it is not strange that the style
of a man of genius is modified by his age and his
experience ; that he thinks otherwise at forty than
he thought at twenty ; that his ideas are not rigid,
immovable from youth to old age. In his earlier
period, and in the first of his symphonies, he shows
the influence of his predecessors, and yet in his six-
teenth work, three trios, known as Op. i, striking
originality and independence are assei ted on every
page.

It was his independence of character as much as
his great musical gift that impelled him on the path
of progress. He was five years old when at Con-
cord

. . . " the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world."

22

337

338

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

He was the child of his time, and he lived to wit-
ness the great movement for freedom and humanity
in America and Europe. Although he had warm
friends and admirers among the nobility he would
not bow down to rank and wealth. The prince held
no higher position in his estimation than the private
citizen. " It is good to be with the aristocracy/' he
said ; " but one must be able to i^ipress them." " A
trace of heroic freedom pervades all his creations,"
says Ferdinand Hiller. The expression " Im Frei-
en," which in German means both the open air and
liberty, might serve as an inscription of a temple
devoted to his genius. It was this lofty spirit that
impelled him to find new methods of musical ex-
pression in the older forms of the symphony, sonata,
string quartet, etc., which have the same general
outlines of formal construction. These classical
forms consist of a cycle or group of three or four
movements related to each other by contrast in
tempo, rhythm, key, and aesthetic character. These
movements are combined so as to constitute an or-
ganic whole; complex and highly developed, like
a great architectural building. Madame de Stael
called architecture "frozen music." This fanciful
idea, so often quoted, suggests a different concep-
tion, perhaps as near the truth, that music may be
considered as a kind of rhythmical architecture.
Such architectural music appeals to the aesthetic
sense of form and proportion through the ear by the
stream of melody and harmony that flows in a
rhythmical mass, whereas the " frozen music "ap-
peals to us through the eye, which is able to take in
the great outlines of proportion and form at once ;
so that the element of time is not considered. So far
as form and construction are concerned, a Beetho-
ven symphony might well be compared with a
Gothic cathedral in its grand outlines of beauty and
strength, complexity, relation of the parts to the
whole, sense of proportion, and unity in variety.
But in music, as in all true art, form is but the
means to an end : which is to move the soul
through the aesthetic sense of beauty. This ideal
structure of tones was not the invention of one mu-
sician ; it was built up gradually, in the course of
a century and a half, by various composers until it
reached its culmination in the works of Beethoven.
There are two distinct sources from which cyclical
instrumental music is derived. First, the sonatas
for violins and bass which sprang up in the 17th
century under Corelli, Biber, Purcell and others.

Subsequently the sonata was applied to the solo
clavichord by Kuhnau, Sebastian and Emanuel
Bach. Second, the Italian opera overture, which
came into vogue as separate instrumental music
early in the i8th century under the names of sym-
phony and concerto. The Italian overture con-
sisted of three short, related movements — allegro^
adagio y allegro^ — a slow movement between two
fast ones. Sammartini, Emanuel Bach and a few
others were the first to cultivate this three-move-
ment form : but it was not until the advent of Haydn
that its modem character was acquired. Under
his genius first came classical models. The so-
natas of Emanuel Bach were the starting point of
Haydn's music. He worked out gradually the so-
called art of free thematic treatment. Compared
with the older style its chief features are greater
freedom in developing the themes; the parts are
not bound down to the rules of strict counterpoint ;
the melody is given chiefly to one voice, generally
the upper. Free passages are introduced between
the several melodic groups that make up the con-
trasted themes. A general air of lightness, grace,
elegance and pleasantness is the result of this free-
dom of treatment. A whole movement is evolved
out of little rhythmical motives or germs, which re-
cur again and again, under ever changing conditions
of melody, harmony, key, position or range, and in-
strumentation. By such kaleidoscopic changes the
motives express constantly new meaning and beauty
without abandoning the central idea of the piece.
Then, too, each movement is polythematic instead of
monothematic. Haydn in these and other respects
prepared the way for Mozart and Beethoven, and
neither of the three can be considered without
the other. Mozart and Beethoven obtained the
structural form and basis of instrumentation from
Haydn ; on the other hand, Haydn in his old age
and Beethoven in his youth learned from Mozart
a richer art of instrumental color and expressiveness,
especially in the use of wind instruments. While
Mozart did not enlarge the cyclical forms beyond
the general outlines laid down by Haydn, he beau-
tified and enriched them in all their details. In his
last three symphonies and famous six quartets the
beauty is more refined, the pathos more thrilling and
profound, the dissonances and modulations more
daring and fascinating. His music is conceived in
a more serious vein.

Rubinstein, in his " Conversation on music," has

BEETHOVEN'S MONUMENT IN VIENNA,
Executed by 2umbusch. From a photograph, (See page 333.)

340

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

expressed admirably the relations between Beetho-
ven and his time : " Mankind thirsts for a storm ;
it feels that it may become dry and parched in the
eternal sunshine of Haydn and Mozart ; it wishes to
express itself earnestly ; it longs for action ; it be-
comes dramatic ; the French revolution breaks out ;
Beethoven appears. . . The forms in his first
period are the forms then reigning, but the line of
thought is, even in the works of his youth, a wholly
different one. The last movement in his first
pianoforte sonata (F minor), more especially in
the second theme, is already a new world of emo-
tion, expression, pianoforte effect, and even piano-
forte technique. . . In the works of his first period
altogether, we recognize only the formulas of
the earlier composers ; for, although the garb still
remains the same for a time, we see even in these
works, that natural hair will soon take the place of
the powdered perruque and cue ; that boots, instead
of buckled shoes, will change the gait of the man ;
that the coat, instead of the broad frock with the
steel buttons, will give him another bearing. The
minuet is supplanted by the scherzo; the works
are of a more virile and earnest character : —
through him instrumental music is capable of ex-
pressing the tragic, and dramatic humor rises to
irony. . . Smiling, laughing, merry-making, bitter-
ness, in short, a world of psychological expression
is heard in them. It emanates not from a human
being, but as from an invisible Titan, who now
rejoices over humanity, now is offended ; who laughs
and again weeps, a supernatural being not to be
measured ! "

Beethoven's music, more than any other before
his time, is characterized by vivid contrasts in the
themes, passages, rhythmical effects, bold disso-
nances and modulations, dynamic expression, varied
and massive instrumentation. This is true, not
only of the several movements as a whole, but of
the subdivisions. The movements are held in close
relation by contrast of emotions, by elevated or
depressed, passionate or calm moods. If the
opening movement is conceived in a fiery or tragic
spirit, the feelings after a time will be rendered all
the more susceptible to the calm mood of the slow
movement, which may lead through sadness and
longing to the vivacity and jocoseness of the
Scherzo; and this in turn may give place to the
triumphant joy of the finale. Each movement is
employed with its special aesthetic problem and

contributes its share to the total effect of the
work.

First of all, Beethoven was destined to carry the
art of free thematic music to a point never before
reached, never surpassed since his death. The
several movements of his works are built on the
broadest foundations, the musical periods are ex-
panded to their utmost limits. The so-called middle-
part (mittelsatz) is more impressive and elaborate
than with his predecessors. This is also the case
with the coda, which is much extended, worked-up,
and made the climax of the whole movement. The
opening movements of the Heroic and the Fifth
Symphonies are conspicuous examples. In the art
of motive-building he followed Haydn and Mozart,
with new results. The thematic play is of never-
ending variety. The opening allegro of the Fifth
Symphony is a wonderful instance of the develop-
ment of a great dramatic movement from a single
motive of four notes. We learn from his sketch-books
the pains he took in the invention of his themes ;
how he turned them about, curtailed or amplified
them. These themes when chosen finally suffered
endless metamorphoses. Yet through the protean
changes of rhythm, melody, and harmony the theme
preserves its individuality.

In composition he was extremely slow and fond
of experimenting. We know his methods by his
sketch-books which are preserved. Nearly every
measure was re-written and re-written. The ideas
at first were often trivial, but they were changed
and elaborated until they grew to melodies of haunt-
ing beauty. Crude commonplaces became passages
of mysterious grandeur. Many of the thoughts re-
corded hastily, in his room or in the fields, were
never used. The thought did not spring from his
brain, as in the fable, fully clothed : its birth was
more akin to the Caesarian operation. FlorestarCs
air, for instance, had eighteen distinct and different
beginnings, and the great chorus in " Fidelio " had
no less than ten. The blood would rush to his head
as he worked ; the muscles of his face would swell ;
and his eyes would almost start from their sockets ;
then, if he were in his room, he would strip himself
of his clothing and pour water on his head.

Among the innovations made by Beethoven, may
be mentioned the extension of key relationship, which
before him was not recognized. He broke down
the restrictions that governed transitions. Here he
was revolutionary. The principles of his harmonic

LUDIVIG VAN BEETHOVEN

34t

combinations have been thus formalized by Mr.
Dannreuther: " (a) Any chord can succeed imme-
diately any chord belonging to another tonality, no
matter how remote, provided they have one note
in common, even if it be only harmonically so.
(^) It is possible to produce quick harmonic pro-
gressions into the most remote tonalities
by means of chromatic and enharmonic
changes in individual parts, which are
made to move on step by step, thus
building a sort of chromatic or enhar-
monic bridge." And Mr. Dannreuther
cites as instances, the connection be-
tween variations 32 and 33 in Op. 120;
and the return from B major, at the
close of the "working out," to the first
subject in B-Hat major in the first- move-
ment of Op. 106. Before the time of
Beethoven composers of sonatas and sym-
phonies had generally confined themselves
to a narrow range of keys. The theme
of the first movement was given out in
the tonic, and if it was major, it was
answered by the second theme in the fifth
above ; that is to say, if the sonata were
in C, the second subject would be in G.
If the movement were in the minor, the
second subject would be in the rela-
tive major: i. e. the second theme of
a movement in C minor would be in E
fiat. So too the key of the second move-
ment was usually restricted, although
sometimes there was a little more liberty.
The painstaking Grove has examined the
eighty-one works of Beethoven in sonata
form. The transition to the dominant oc-
curs only three times ; to the subdominant
nineteen times ; to the third below thirty
times. " His favorite change was evidently
to the submediant or third below — that
is to say, to a key less closely related to >*ii» i>y F'
the tonic and more remote than the
dominant key." He makes it as early as Op. i,
No. 2.

Wagner once compared the conventional con-
necting passages between the melodic groups of
Haydn and Mozart to " the rattling of dishes at a
royal feast." Beethoven could not tolerate the
traditional commonplaces, which were often mere
padding. In these intermediate periods he used

phrases which hinted at or were actually closely
related to the main themes, and he thus gave the
movement the effect of an organic whole, the
development of which was as logical as the residls
that follow from a law of nature. Or he would
surprise the hearer by the introduction of a fresh

BUST OF BEETHOVEN.

ten, (Sh

•(• 117.)

episode of length and imporUnce, although by it
the formal rules of the theorist were defied. Even
in his second period there are remarkable instances
of absolute originality in form as well as in style and
conception, as the opening adagio of the pianoforte
sonata in C-sharp minor, or the Con moto of the
pianoforte Concerto in G, Nor was his manner of
the introduction of the themes themselves after the

342

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

manner of his predecessors ; " the glory of the phrase
often appeared as it were through clouds that first
shrouded it and were then dispelled."

He was the greatest master of the art of varying
a theme, and his genius ennobled even pianoforte
variations, which are too apt, as made by others, to
show mere skill and learning, or excite by superficial
brilliancy the vain display of the virtuoso who plays
simply that he may dazzle. In this species of art
is seen the wealth of his ideas as well as the con-
summate mastery in expression. In the second and
the third period of his style there are shining ex-
amples of his power in this direction. One kind
of variation is peculiarly his own, in which every-
thing is changed, the rhythm, the melody and the
harmony, and yet the theme is clearly recognized.
Then there are great variations without the name,
as the slow movements in the sonata " appassionata '*
and the Trio in B-flat ; the slow movements of the
C minor and Ninth Symphonies ; the finale of the
Heroic.

Ehlert has spoken of the inexorable logic of
Beethoven's music, the impossibility of rearranging
the order of thought, of adding or taking away.
In other words, the concentration of his musical
thought is never too bold, his speech is never too
laconic; nor is he tautological or diffuse. The
intensely emotional and dramatic characteristics of
his music impelled him to invent a great variety of
dynamic changes, or rhythmical syncopations.
When we compare him in this respect with his
predecessors, we are struck by the great number of
marks of expression. The care with which he
indicated the nuances is seen in all his works, but
he paid more and more attention to the matter as
he neared the end of his career. The Cavatina in
the Quartet in B-fiat, for instance, is sixty-six
measures long, and there are fifty- eight marks of
expression. He wished by all possible means to
produce what he himself called, in reference to
the Heroic Symphony, "the special and intended
effect." Furthermore certain of the indications
reflect his personality, as the famous directions in
the Mass in D, and the ** bckkmmt*^ in the Cav-
atina before mentioned.

It has been said that the criterion wherewith to
judge of all music whatsoever is this : " Technical
exposition being considered equal, the quality and
the power of the emotional matter set forth should
turn the scale between any two pieces of music."

Now Beethoven not only invented a new technical
language; he invented the necessity of a race of
players that should speak it. The pianist that
interprets properly a composition of Beethoven
must clothe his mechanism with intellectuality and
virile, poetic spirit. It was. held by Jacob Grimm
that no definite thought can exist without words,
and that in giving up the words instrumental music
has become an abstraction, as all thought has been
left behind. It seems, however, an error to limit
thought or consciousness to words. There is a
state of consciousness, without verbal thinking, in
which we realize great moments of existence ; and
this state of consciousness has its clear and power-
ful language. Such a spiritual language is music,
and its greatest poet is Beethoven. Even those
works of Beethoven which have no title to indicate
the practical plan of the author are expressions of
particular emotions and conceptions that cannot be
explained in words, yet convey a distinct impression
to the consciousness of the hearer.

Not that he was the originator or the abettor of
that which is now known as program music ; for
program music, whether the epithet be applied
solely to that music which without words aims to
portray or suggest to the hearer certain definite
objects or events, or whether it be applied loosely
to all characteristic or imitative music, is not a thing
of modern invention. In a sacred ballet of the
Greeks, which represented the fight of Apollo with
the Python, the action was accompanied appropri-
ately by flutes, lutes, and trumpets, and the grinding
of the teeth of the wounded monster was imitated
by the trumpet. In the part-songs of Jannequin
and his contemporaries, battles, birds and hens were
imitated in music. Buxtehude described in double
counterpoint, "the peaceable and joyous ending
of Simeon after the death of his son." The first
movement of Dittersdorfs orchestral symphony
" Actaeon " portrayed the chase ; Diana took her
bath in the second ; in the minuet Actaeon played
the part of " Peeping Tom " ; and in the finale he
is torn in pieces by the hounds for his indiscretion.
To prove that there is nothing new under the sun, a
wise man of his day, named Hermes, wrote analyti-
cal programs of the fifteen symphonies of Ditters-
dorf for the benefit of the hearer and for his own
glory. But why multiply such instances familiar to
the searchers after the curious in music ?

Beethoven gave certain compositions a general

LUDIVIG VAN BEETHOVEN

343

name, as the pianoforte sonata Op. 8 1 ^ , known as
"Das Lebewohr* (or "Les Adieux") ; the over-
ture to " Egmont " ; the Pastoral Symphony. But
these names were not supplied with a detailed pro-
gram of words that the music might be identified
properly and the right emotion recognized or sub-
divided. When he prefixed the following words to
the Pastoral Symphony, " more expression of emo-
tions than tone- painting," he at the same time made
his confession of faith. Nevertheless the commen-
tators, the successors of Hermes above mentioned,
have seen in this same symphony a good citizen
going with his family to spend Sunday in the country,
or a pantheistic hymn of subtle nature ; just as in the
Seventh Symphony Wagner finds the apotheosis of the
dance, another the joy of Germany delivered from the
French yoke, while others see a festival in the days
of chivalry, the reproduction of a brave meridional
people, a village marriage, a procession in the cata-
combs, the love dream of a sensuous odalisque, a
Bacchic feast, a battle of giants, or a vulgar orgy to
serve as a temperance lecture. " But in the kingdom
of hypothesis each one has a right to think freely,
and even, alas, to speak his mind."

If a striking characteristic of the music of
Beethoven is its individuality with accompanying
infinite variety — as seen in the symphonies, the
concertos, nearly all of the pianoforte sonatas, and
the chamber music — a no less striking feature is
its intense dramatic spirit. The reproach has been
made against Beethoven that his genius was not
dramatic, but surely reference was here made to the
scenic conventionalities of opera. But if the dra-
matic in music lies in the development of passion,
Beethoven was one of the greatest dramatic com-
posers. To quote Henri Lavoix in his remarks
on the Fifth Symphony : " Is this not the drama in
Its purity and its quintessence, where passion is
no longer the particular attribute of a theatrical
mask, but the expression of our own peculiar
feeling?"

An important factor in the full expression of this
dramatic intensity in his orchestral writing is the
instrumentation. All the instruments are used with
greater freedom and effect than ever before. In
order to express his great musical ideas the instru-
ments move in a wider compass with greater tech-
nical execution. In instrumental coloring, in vari-
ety of solo and chorus treatment, and in massive
rhythmical effects, Beethoven advanced the art of

orchestration to a point never before conceived.
His effects, however, are not gained by the intro-
duction of unusual instruments. With the ex-
ception of the Ninth Symphony and a few other
instances, his orchestra is practically the one used by
Mozart. In the Ninth Symphony, as in " the Battle
of Vittoria," there is a liberal use of percussion
instruments. Beethoven used the contra fagott and
the basset horn on occasions ; and he once indulged
himself in the singular fancy of arranging his
" Battle of Vittoria " for Maelzel's instrument, the
Panharmonikon, a machine that brought in play
all sorts of military instruments. But the instru-
mentation of his symphonies does not depend for
its effects on unusual combinations ; it is remarkable
for the manner of the speech of well-known members
of the orchestra. Take the strings for example.
He knew full well the value of the pizzicato^ and
tremolo as well as the power of the unison. Outside
of the famous chamber music, the symphonies are
filled with passages for the 'cello and double bass
that are unusual for his time. In his treatment of
the double bass, which in the C-minor Symphony
was a stumbling block to Habeneck and his trained
men, he was influenced by the skill of Dragonetti.
In his use of the wood-wind he showed rare instinct
and imagination. The oboe, for instance, is with
him not a gay rustic pipe of acid character ; it is
positive, it is melancholy, it is tender and it soothes.
In the famous solos of the first movement of the
Fifth Symphony and the dungeon scene of Fidelio,
the oboe utters heart-piercing accents of sorrow.
What is more characteristic than the odd duckings
of the bassoons in the scherzo of the Fifth Sym-
phony ; the soulful clarinet solo in the allegretto of
the Seventh, or the weird effect of the low notes of
the horn in the trio of the scherzo of the Seventh
Symphony ? Beethoven held the trombones in great
reserve, but whenever he employed them the effect
was impressive, as for instance in \ht finale of the
Fifth Symphony and the storm of the Pastoral
Symphony. Two famous passages in his sympho-
nies, passages that have provoked angry disputes,
are made remarkable by a singular use of the horn
in which the laws of tonality are set at nought.
Beethoven was the first that knew the value of
the kettle-drums. He first raised the drum to
the dignity of a solo instrument, as in the Fourth,
Fifth and Ninth Symphonies. His instrumental
effects went hand in hand with the development of

344

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the melodic idea. The different tone- masses are
used in conversation ; or a solo instrument an-
nounces the return of the theme ; or the whole
orchestra rages violently and then stops suddenly
to listen to a far off voice.

It would be impossible in an article of this brevity
to speak of his manifold effects of instrumentation,
or of the characteri3tics of his compositions in detail.
Among his instrumental works are the 9 symphonies,
overture and music to "Egmont," overture and
music to "Prometheus," "The Battle of Vittoria,"
9 overtures, 5 concertos for pianoforte and or-
chestra, I triple concerto, the Choral Fantasia, the
violin concerto, 16 quartets for strings, 8 trios for
pianoforte and strings, 10 sonatas for pianoforte and
violin, 2 octets for wind, i septet for strings and
wind, I quintet for pianoforte and wind, 5 sonatas
for pianoforte and *cello, 38 sonatas for pianoforte,
and 2 1 sets of variations for pianoforte. The chief
vocal works are " Fidelio," the two masses, the
oratorio, "Christus am Oelberge," "Meerstille und
glUckliche Fahrt," the aria " Ah perfido ! " and 66
songs with pianoforte accompaniment.

We have already considered briefly the various
ways in which Beethoven expanded the structural
elements of the sonata, and now it may not be amiss
to examine for a moment the aesthetical characteris-
tics of his pianoforte works in sonata form. In the
early sonatas he began with the four movements
which others had almost wholly reserved for the sym-
phony. The scherzo in sonata and symphony was
peculiarly his invention. To be sure the name is
older, and was used in describing secular songs in
the 1 6th century as well as for instrumental pieces
in the 17th. But the peculiar quickly moving
number with its piquant harmonies and rhythm and
its mocking, grotesque or fantastically capricious
spirit is the musical thought of Beethoven. At times
the scherzo assumed gigantic proportions as in the
Third, Fifth and Ninth Symphonies, and in the
sonata Op. 106. Before his day the imagination of
the composer had not had full play ; it was more
or less hampered by conventionalities, by the neces-
sities of the men dependent on princes' favors.
The expansion of a great idea in the sonata is
found first in his works. Deep feeling, passionate
longing took the place in the slow movement of
simple melody with its unmeaning and elabo-
rate ornamentation. He introduced the recitative
with thrilling effect. Although the breadth of the

thought in different movements is majestic even
to awe, all phases of human feeling are expressed.
Strength and delicacy, gloom and playfulness are
found side by side. The sonata form with Bee-
thoven was the means of the full development of
all the expressive elements in music.

These considerations are likewise true of his
piano and violin sonatas, trios and concertos, the
most prominent of which are the so-called Kreutzer
Sonata, for piano and violin, trio in B fiat, violin
concerto, and piano concertos in G and E fiat.
These famous works stand foremost in their re-
spective blanches, but to dwell on their individual
characteristics would exceed the limits of this article.

In contrast with the later symphonies the First
and Second seem without the rare personality of the
composer. Yet when the First Symphony appeared
its opening was regarded as daring; and there is
the seriousness of purpose that is found in all of his
greater compositions. In the Second the introduction
is built on broader foundations ; there is a warmth
in the slow movement that was unusual for the
time, and the scherzo is new in character. But in
the Heroic, Beethoven laid the cornerstone of
modern symphonic music. It was written with a
definite aim ; the glorification of a great man. The
instrumentation is noticeable in a historical sense on
account of the treatment of the orchestra as a
whole ; the balance of the parts, the conversations,
the antiphonal choirs. The Funeral March is the
departure from the traditional slow movement that
was generally devoted to prettiness or the display
of genteel emotion. And in this symphony the
scherzo is Shakesperian in spirit where melancholy
or grimness is mingled with the jesting. It has
been said that the last movement of the Haydn
Symphony was designed to send the audience home
in gay spirits; but with Beethoven the finale be-
came the crown of the work. The finale of the
Heroic is not as impressive as are the preceding
movements ; but it abounds in interesting detail,
and was in its day a remarkable revelation. The
Fourth is built on a lesser scale, and yet as Berlioz
well said, the adagio defies analysis, " the move-
ment that seems to have been sighed by the Arch-
angel Michael when, a prey to melancholy, he con-
templated from the threshold of heaven the worlds
below him." In the Fifth Beethoven rid himself
completely of the shackles of conventionality. It
is the story in music of the composer's defiance

LUDWiG VAN BEETBOf^E^

345

of Fate, the battling of man with nature and unseen
forces. Here trombones and contra fagott ap-
peared for the first time in the history of the
symphony. The Sixth is full of peace and serenity
and joy in life that comes from the contemplation
3f Nature, and stands in strong
!:ontrast with the sublime stru^le
and exulting triumph of the Fifth.
The Seventh is perhaps the most
truly romantic and sensuously
beautiful of all. Joy and sorrow,
humor and wild passion alternate
in its strongly contrasted move-
ments. This great work, togeth-
er with the three string quar-
tets, Op. S9i 3Je held by some
musicians to be the highest man-
ifestation of subjective feeling
and ideal beauty that musical art
has yet revealed. In conciseness
of form the Eighth is almost a re-
turn to earlier conditions, but in
concentrated power and joyous-
ness it is one of the most remark-
able and Beethovenish. He him-
self described it as a " little sym-
phony in F." The substitution
of the An el- like and humorous
allegretto in place of the slow
movement, and the use of the
menuetto are eminently charac-
teristic. The Choral Symphony
stands alone in the history of
music. It is said that the first
three movements " have refer-
ence, more or less intelligible ac-
cording to the organization and
sympathies of the hearer, to the
finale^' which is a setting of
Schiller's " Ode to Joy, " or
rather " Liberty," which was the E.ttuiBd y,-, p.oi. v
original title of the poem. Here
all "the dramatic and human elements which
Beethoven introduced into his instrumental music
to a degree before undreamed of " are brought to-
gether in complete expression. Moreover in the
Ninth Symphony as in his great Mass in D there
dwells the profound spirit of religious consciousness.
The burden of the hymn heard above the sym-
phonic struggle of the orchestra is joy, love and

brotherhood for all mankind, or that charily which
is the true essence of the Christian religion. Like
Dante's Divine Comedy or Bach's Passion Music,
the Ninth Symphony will live as one of the greatest
monuments of genius.

BEETHOVEN'S \

'lam a phDtogltph i

i>d> In I a 80.

The human voice was to Beethoven an orchestral
instrument, and he too often treated it as such.
This failing is seen particularly in the Mass in D,
" Fidelio," and the Ninth Symphony. Yet he showed
in the song-cycle, " To the Absent Loved-one," a
knowledge of the art of Italian song and the prin-
ciples of bd canto that accompanied Cerman taste
and sentiment, as also in his most famous song " Ade-

• «

• • •

ft

» • ft

• • *

• ••

* •« ft

• • •

• • •

346

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

laide." In his great choral works and in his opera
he showed himself everywhere as the instrumental
writer par excellence, " Fidelio " is undoubtedly
a masterpiece. The text has been praised highly,
but probably more on account of its noble subject
than dramatic treatment ; for the interest stops with
the great dungeon-scene. As a drama it has the
defects of operas in general of his time. Spoken
dialogue and separate solo and concerted numbers
naturally prevent dramatic unity and consistency of
effect.

Undoubtedly the orchestra is the chief figure of
the opera, dominating constantly the scene. This,
however, is as true of Wagner 4s of Beethoven.
"There is not an instrumental note that has not
its passionate, dramatic meaning; there is not an
instrument that is not a party to the drama." With
the exception of the prisoners' chorus, the most
impressive passages of " Fidelio " are those in which
the orchestra is openly master: the overture No.
III., the melodramas, the introduction to the air
of Fiorestan, The overture No. III. is the whole
story of the agony and the womanly devotion of
Leonore in concise and tragic form ; just as the
overtures to ** Egmont" and "Coriolanus" are the
summing up of the tragedies of Goethe and Collin,
although "Coriolanus" is undoubtedly derived di-
rectly from Plutarch and Shakespeare. The force
and the meaning of the accompaniment is always in
proportion with the degree of passion on the stage.
When Pizarro meditates his vengeance and the
orchestra mimics the storm within his breast, it
matters little that the voice of the singer is drowned.
And so the air of the delirious Florestan is less
thrilling than the preceding prelude ; and the oboe
tells of his agony although he himself cries it to the
dungeon walls.

There is little or no doubt that when Beethoven
wrote his Ninth Symphony, he thought of Schiller's
original conception, the ode to Freedom, and not
the altered and present version, the ode to Joy. To
Beethoven, freedom was the only joy ; to him the
universal freedom of loving humanity was true reli-
gion : the brotherhood of man. That the singers
rebelled against the frightful difficulties of their task
was nothing to him ; he heard the voices of a
triumphant world, and he was not to be confined by
individual limitations. So in his mass in D, he
thought not of the service of the Roman Catholic
church : he arrayed the human against the super-

natural. It is not church music so much as the
direct, subjective expression of a religious heart,
which cannot be restrained by the barriers of mere
form and ritual. Some have argued seriously that
because Beethoven was not punctilious in the
observance of the rites of the Church he was
therefore unfitted to celebrate in music her solemn
service. Now whatever his religious opinions were,
whether he was deist or pantheist, there is no doubt
that he appreciated fully the dignity of his task and
consecrated all his energies to the performance of it.
He meditated it most carefully, as we know by his
sketch-books. In 1 8 1 8 he wrote a memorandum :
" To compose true religious music, it is necessary
to consult the olden chorals in use in monasteries" ;
and he added below : " Make once more the sacrifice
of all the petty necessities of life for the glory of thy
art. God before all ! " In the manuscript is writ-
ten over the Kyrie, " From the heart ! May it go
back to the heart ! " and over the Dona Nobis, " Do-
na nobis pacem. Representing the inner and ex-
terior peace."

It is idle to compare this Mass with the religious
works of Palestrina and Bach and to say that if Bee-
thoven had been a devout Catholic or an orthodox
Lutheran his Mass would have been more thoroughly
imbued with religious feeling. In the first place it
is necessary to define the word " religious." Pales-
trina wrote in his peculiar style not because he was
a devout Catholic, but because his religious individ-
uality found expression in the methods of his time.
Bach wrote his great Mass in a time when counter-
point ruled in the music of the church and of the
dance. Beethoven was a man, not only of his time,
but of the remaining years of this century.

Now in this mass Beethoven wherever he is most
imposing, he is intensely dramatic, and when he fol-
lows tradition, he is least himself. Notice for instance
the change from the passionate entreaty that is almost
a defiance in the Kyrie to the ineffable tenderness
in the Christe eleison; the wonderful setting of the
Incarnatus and the Crucifixus. On the other hand,
where Beethoven felt that it was his duty to follow
the approved formulas, as in certain passages of the
Credo that relate to the communion of saints, the
forgiveness of sins, etc., we realize fully the story of
Schindler, who found the composer singing, shouting,
stamping, and sweating at his work ; for although he
was a master of the fugatOy the fugue was to him,
apparently, not his natural mode of expression. But

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

347

von Btilow's commentary should not be forgotten :
" The fugue is with Beethoven the last and highest
means of intensifying the expression of emotions.*'

Again, the religious element in the music of Bee-
thoven is not confined to works which have a
sacred text. The yearning after heavenly rest, the
discontent with the petty vanities of life, sublime
hope and humble thanksgiving, — these are not found
exclusively in his works for the church or in such a
movement as the canzona in moda lidico in the
A minor quartet Op. 132. The finale of the Ninth
Symphony as well as movements in the sona-
tas, the chamber-music and the symphonies are
religious music in the profoundest sense of the word.

And yet the great works of his last years have
been decried and are not now accepted by many.
He himself was discontented with many of his ear-
lier compositions, and this self -depreciation does not
seem the singular yet not uncommon affectation of
genius. In a letter written to Ries in 181 6 he de-
clared that the death of his brother had impressed
him profoundly and influenced not only his charac-
ter but his works. For a time following he wrote
but little ; and then he pondered compositions of
gigantic proportions. The pianoforte ceased to ac-
commodate itself to his thoughts ; the string quartet
and the orchestra were constantly in his mind.
" The most exalted, the most wondrous, the most in-
conceivable music," says Rubinstein, "was not written
until after his total deafness. As the seer may be im-
agined blind, that is, blind to his surroundings, and
seeing with the eyes of the soul, so the hearer may
be imagined deaf to all his surroundings and hear-
ing with the hearing of the soul." Deafness be-
friended him when it closed the doors of sense. It
helped him to turn from outward things, and find
peace and consolation in the ideal world of tones.
The spiritual voices that he heard were the com-
panions of his solitude. He thus vindicated the
true spirituality of music. The deaf man justified
its ancient, poetical significance. This inward life
accounts for his early inclination for instrumental
music. The highly developed forms gave wide
range to his imagination, through the almost un-
limited resources of the orchestra, in compass,
technical execution, and tone-color.

While in his orchestral works Beethoven reveals
all the tragic fire and dramatic strength of his na-
ture, it is in his string quartets that he is most spirit-
ual and mystical. This is due, first, to the nature

of the four combined instruments, so pure and
ethereal in their tone effects.

His friend Schuppanzigh, the violinist, com-
plained to him that certain passages in one of his
quartets were impossible ; and Beethoven replied :
" Do you believe that I think of a wretched violin,
when the spirit speaks to me and I write it down ? "
The last five quartets have been called transcen-
dental, even incomprehensible, on account of their
strangeness and obscurity. They are his last utter-
ances, the mystical creations of a man who neared
the end of his life-tragedy. " The events in Bee-
thoven's life," says Nohl, " were calculated more and
more to liberate him heart and soul from this world,
and the whole composition of the quartets appears
like a preparation for the moment when the mind,
released from existence here, feels united with a
higher being. But it is not a longing for death that
here finds expression. It is the heartfelt, certain,
and joyful feeling of something really eternal and
holy, that speaks to us in the language of a new
dispensation. And even the pictures of this world,
here to be discerned, be they serious or gay, have
this transfigured light, this outlook into eternity."
Spirituality is impressed on the eternal features of
the music : that is, the technical treatment of the
four instruments. The melodies move freely in a
wide compass, the voices cross each other frequently.
Widely extended, open harmony is often employed,
giving wonderful etherealness and spirituality to the
effect of the strings by their thinness and delicacy
of tone when thus separated by long intervals be-
tween the several parts of the chords. Nor is the
polyphonic melodiousness of the voices abandoned,
as in certain quartets of later masters in which the
treatment is more orchestral than is in keeping
with the character of the solo instruments.

And yet these great quartets are not even now
accepted by certain men of marked musical tem-
perament and discriminating taste. They are called
" charcoal sketches " ; they are erroneously regarded
as draughts for elaboration in orchestral form.
Others shrug their shoulders and speak compas-
sionately of the deafness of Beethoven. But he
was deaf when, in directing the Seventh Symphony,
he was obliged to follow the movements of the
first violin that he might keep his place ; he was
deaf when he thought out the melodic freshness and
elegance of the Eighth Symphony ; and even before
the Heroic, the Fifth and the Pastoral he mourned

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

his physical infirmity in the celebrated letter to
his brothers. In judging of the masterpieces of the
so-called third period it is not necessary to join
the cry of the critics like F^tis who complain of
" the aberrations of a genius that goes out in dark-
ness," or to swell the chorus of wild enthusiasts as
Nohl and Lenz, who wrench the dictionary in the
expression of their delight. In the light of these
great works all criticism is blind and impotent.

In the cyclical forms of instrumental music, Bee-
thoven is preeminent from all points of view, form-
ally, technically, sesthetically, and spiritually. More-
over, there is a Shakesperian quality in his wonderful
tone-poems. Like the great poet he touches every
chord of the heart and appeals to the imagination
more potently than other poets. Beethoven's crea-
tions, like Shakespeare's, are distinguished by great
diversity of character; each is a type by itself. His
great symphonies stand in as strong contrast with
each other as do the plays of Shakespeare with each
other. Beethoven is the least of a mannerist of all
composers. " Each composition leaves a separate
image and impressionon the mind." His composi-

tions are genuine poems, that tell their meaning to
the true listener clearly and unmistakably in the
language of tones, a language which, however, can-
not be translated into mere words, as has often been
attempted in the flowery and fanciful effusions of
various writers, like Wagner, Lenz, Marx, and others,
who waste labor and thought in trying to do the
impossible.

In the Pantheon of art Beethoven holds a fore-
most place beside the great poets and artists of all
time, with ^schylus and Dante, Michael -Angelo
and Shakespeare. Like these inspired men he has
widened and ennobled the mind and the soul of
humanity. " In his last works," says Edward Dann-
reuther, " he passes beyond the horizon of a mere
singer and poet, and touches upon the domain of
the seer and prophet, where in unison with all
genuine mystics and ethical teachers he delivers a
message of religious love and resignation, and re-
lease from the world." Or as Wagner wrote, " Our
civilization might receive a new soul from the spirit
of Beethoven's music, and a renovation of religion
which might permeate it through and through."

OXMt..

» OPERA HOUSE.

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

Stfndaaam «/ a aaegrapli portrait mats bit Krlttiubir, af Vlinna.

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

IRANZ PETER SCHUBERT was
bom in Vienna, January 31, 1797,
and died there November 19, 1828.
The house in which Schubert was
born is now Number 54 in the
Nussdorfer Strasse, and the fact is
recorded upon a marble tablet over the door. His
immediate ancestry were peasants. His father and
uncle came from Moravia to Vienna, and were
schoolmasters there for many years. His mother,
Elizabeth Fitz, before her marriage, was in domestic
service as a cook. After her death in 181 2 the
elder Schubert married Anna Klayenbok. By his
first marriage he had fourteen children, of whom
Franz was the thirteenth ; by the second marriage
there were five children, two of whom were living
about 1880. The step-mother was an excellent
mother to Franz. Two of his elder brothers, Ignaz
and Ferdinand, lived and died as schoolmasters,
like their father. It seems to have been an admir-
able family ; its members, so far as we know, were
noted for conscientious industry and integrity, and
were affectionately devoted to one another. It is
clear that there was a love for music in the family,
though we have few details on this point. Ignaz
and Ferdinand were taught the violin by their
father. The little Franz began of himself to pick
out melodic themes on an old piano much the
worse for wear, and thought it a rare treat when a
friendly joiner's apprentice used now and then to
take him to a piano shop, where he was allowed to
try his infant hands upon new and fine instruments.
At the age of seven he began to study the violin
with his father, and the piano with his brother
Ignaz, then aged nineteen ; but in a very short time
he had got quite beyond these teachers, and was
sent to the parish choir-master, Michael Holzer, for
instruction in violin, piano, organ, and thorough-
bass, as well as in singing. But the astounded
Holzer soon found, as he said long afterward,

35

" whenever I wished to teach him anything fresh, he
always knew it already." Holzer was fond of
giving him themes on which to extemporize, and
used to exclaim with rapture that the little fellow
" had harmony at his fingers' ends."

Instances of precocity among musicians of genius
are by no means rare. But for precocity of the
highest order, as well as for spontaneous exuberance
of musical originality, Schubert has probably been
equalled by none save Mozart. The world is
familiar with the stories of Mozart found by his
father in the act of scrawling a piano concerto at
four years of age, and of his composing a symphony
for full orchestra at eight. A piano sonata in D
major for four hands, which he wrote in his ninth
year, is still very commonly played, and is astonish-
ing for its maturity of thought and its complete
mastery of the sonata form. There is no evidence
of the beginning of such work on Schubert's part at
such an early age. His fantasia for four hands was
written when he was thirteen years old, and his first
recorded song, "Hagar's Lament," in the fol-
lowing year ; but there is reason for believing that
he had before that time composed songs, pieces
for piano, and string quartettes. Before complet-
ing his eleventh year he had come to be leading
soprano singer and violin player in the choir at the
parish church of Lichtenthal, in Vienna. The next
year he obtained a situation as chorister in the
Emperor's Chapel, and became a pupil in the
Imperial school known as the "Convict," a name
derived not from convincere^ but from convivere^ and
implying that the members or " convictors " were
" messmates." It was but scant conviviality that
was allowed by the ignorant parsimony with which
that somewhat famous institution was managed.
Those poor growing boys, with the wolfish appetites
belonging to their time of life, had but two wretched
meals daily and more than eight hours apart, while
in the winter season their benumbed fingers shrank

352

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

from contact with the ice-Hke key-boards. How
often some promising lad may have succumbed to
such a regimen, while his death was piously as-
cribed to Providence, we are not informed. That
the effect upon Schubert's constitution was delete-
rious may readily be believed. In one of the
earliest of his letters that have been preserved,
dated November 24, 181 2, we find him beseeching
his brother for a few kreutzers wherewith to get now
and then a roll or some apples to keep off starvation
during the long exercises in the freezing school-
room.

In the Convict more or less instruction was given
in history and mathematics, French and Italian,
drawing and writing. In such branches as he
studied, Schubert seems to have done fairly well,
but as he went on the tendency grew upon him to
neglect everything else for the sake of music. In-
strumental music was elaborately studied, and sym-
phonies and overtures of Haydn, Mozart, and
others were diligently practised by an orchestra of
boys, in which Schubert distinguished himself from
the first. Soon after his arrival in the school, the
conductor of this orchestra — a big boy, named
Joseph von Spaun, afterward Baron and Member of
the Imperial Council, and well known as an ama-
teur musician — remarked how finely "the little
fellow in spectacles " played ; from which we may
infer that Schubert's near-sightedness dated from
his childhood. After a while the little fellow him-
self became first violin and often served as conduct-
or. A warm friendship grew up between Schubert
and Spaun, who presently discovered that the shy
boy of twelve was already possessed by an unap-
peasable rage for composition. His head was
brimming over with melodious thoughts, with which
he would cover every scrap of music paper that he
could get hold of. But either the Convict was nig-
gardly in its supply of writing materials no less than
of food and fuel, or else the needs of the new-
comer were such as had never before been heard
of; for he could not get enough paper on which to
jot down the daily flow of musical ideas, nor was his
scanty stock of copper coins sufficient to procure
sheets enough to meet his wants. Having made
this discovery, the kindly Spaun determined that
his little friend should no longer suffer from this
kind of privation ; and from that time forth Schu-
bert's consumption of music paper was astonishing.
In April, 18 10, he wrote the four-hand fantasia for

piano, probably the earliest of his compositions that
is still preserved. It fills thirty- two closely written
pages, and contains a dozen movements, each end-
ing in a different key from that in which the piece
begins. " Hagar's Lament," written in March,
181 1, is the earliest of his songs still preserved.
Perhaps it ought rather to be called a nondescript
vocal piece, or an attempt at a song-cycle ; it com-
prises twelve numbers, with singular and sometimes
irrelevant changes of key, and covers twenty-eight
pages. In spite of its fragmentary and inorganic
character, it bears the unmistakable stamp of
genius. From the outset, whatever his faults, Schu-
bert was always free from the fault of which Schiller
complains that it fetters so many of us poor mortals :
he was never guilty of being commonplace. What-
ever came from him was sure to be something that
no one else would have thought of, and it was sure
to be rich in beauty. In view of this, the spon-
taneity of his creativeness was almost incredible,
and fully justifies the comparison with Mozart.
This same year saw the production of two other
vocal pieces, a second piano fantasia, a string quar-
tet, and a quintet-overture, — to mention only those
that have survived. Doubtless many writings of
that early time were neglected and lost. Schubert
seldom showed much interest in a work of his own
after it was finished, for his attention was absorbed
in fresh composition. But he had a methodical
habit of dating his works and signing them " Frz.
Schubert, w//^," i. e. manu propria ; and this habit
has been helpful to his biographers in studying the
progress of his artistic labors. The list for 1 8 1 2 is
remarkable for this half- starved boy of fifteen, con-
taining as it does an overture for full orchestra, two
string quartets, and a sonata for piano, violin, and
viola, besides other works for piano and strings.

But the list for 18 13 begins to seem portentous.
Here comes the first symphony (in D ; four move-
ments), an octet for wind instruments, three string
quartets, a third piano fantasia, thirty-four minuets,
a cantata for his father's birth-day, and about thirty
other vocal pieces, including canons, terzets, and
songs for a single voice. Besides all this he began
to set to music Kotzebue's opera "Des Teufels
Lustschloss," which he completed in the fol-
lowing year. In looking over the vocal pieces,
one obsen^es an almost unbroken succession of
about a dozen with words by Schiller; and this
illustrates one of Schubert's ways of doing things.

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

355

When he happened to turn over the leaves of a vol-
ume of poetry, verses that pleased him would be-
come straightway clothed in melody; they would
sing themselves in his mind, often in all their con-
crete fullness, with superb accompaniments, noble
in rhythm and rich in wondrous harmonies. If
paper happened to be within reach the song would
at once be written down, and the inspired youth would
turn to someother poem, with like results. What in
the ordinary reader fond of poetry ia simply an emo-

tional reaction of keen indescribable pleasure was
in his case a sudden thrill of musical creation.
Thus we arc told that on a July evening in 1826,
after a long walk, the thirsty Schubert strolled into a
'beer-garden and found a friend sitting at one of the
tables with a volume of Shakespeare. After he had
laid down the book Schubert picked it up and
alighted upon the song in Cymbeline, " Hark, hark,
the lark ! " The beautiful melody with its accom-
paniment, as we now have it, instantly flashed upon

SCHUBERT'S BIRTHPLACE 1

him and was written down upon some staves hastilv
drawn across the back of a bill of fare. In like
manner, in the course of the same evening, he set
to music the drinking song in Antony and Cleopatra,
and clothed with fresh immortality the verses "Who
ia Sylvia " in the Two Gentlemen of Verona. In its
matchless perfection the Sylvia song would of itself
suffice for a composer's reputation. In such wise
would Schubert often look through a book, and
come from its hasty perusal with a dozen or more
new songs.

It is in this astonishing spontaneity that Schu-
bert's greatness laigely consists. In some elements
of artistic perfection he is lacking, and the want
may be traced to some of the circumstances of his

education. His early teachers were simply over-
whelmed by his genius and let him go unguided.
Holzer, as we have seen, whenever he wished to teach
the boy anything, found that the boy could teach
him. So Ruzicka, instructor in thorough-bass at
the Com-Ut, simply protested that Schubert must
have learned music directly from he.iven, and he
could do nothing for him. Sir George Grove very
properly asks, " If all masters adopted this attitude
toward their pupils, what would have become of
some of the greatest geniuses?" Schubert certainly
suffered from defective knowledge of counterpoint ;
after coming to maturity he recognized this defect
in his education and sought to remedy it by study.
Herein he was at a disadvantage compared with his

354

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

younger contemporary Mendelssohn. Himself a
musician of extraordinary precocity and spontaneity,
Mendelssohn became thoroughly grounded in count-
erpoint under one of the best of teachers, Zelter ;
and in all his works Mendelssohn shows that abso-
lute mastery of form, the lack of which is often
noticeable in Schubert, especially in his instru-
mental works. Upon this point we shall have oc-
casion to make some further comment. There can
be little doubt that the worthy Ruzicka would have
done well had he given his wonderful pupil a care-
ful training in counterpoint. The heaven-sent
music would have lost nothing of its heavenly
quality by enlarging its means of expression.

About the first of November, 1813, Schubert left
the Convict and studied for awhile in the Normal
School of St. Anna, in order to qualify himself for a
school-teacher. He escaped conscription by enter-
ing his father's parish school, where he ser\'ed three
years as teacher and discharged the monotonous
and irksome duties of that position with scrupulous
fidelity. He still, however, found time for music.
The compositions of the year 18 14 show a marked
advance in maturity. The most important is the
first mass, in F, a work that has been pronounced
superior to the first mass of any other composer
except Beethoven's mass in C. Then we have the
second symphony, in B flat, the overture in Italian
style for full orchestra, five string quartets, eleven
dances for strings and horns, and twenty-two songs,
more than half of them to Matthisson's words.
Among the songs "Gretchen am Spinnrade," to
Goethe's words, is especially to be noted.

The record for the year 1815 is marvellous: —
the third symphony, in I), the second mass, in G,
and the third, in B flat, one opera and six operettas,
a stabat mater, a salve regina, the string quartet in
G minor, four piano sonatas, thirty miscellaneous
pieces for the piano, and one hundred and thirty-seven
songs ! Among the larger of these works the mass
in G merits especial notice for its beauty. Among
the songs are some of Schubert's most famous, —
" Heidenroslein," " Rastlose Liebe," the "Wander-
er's Nachtlied," the exquisite " Niihe des Geliebten,"
the Ossian songs, and the magnificent Erl King. This
most dramatic and descriptive of songs was thrown
off instantaneously in a fit of wild inspiration.
Schubert had just come upon Goethe's ballad, which
he had not seen before ; he had read it two or
three times and was dashing the music upon paper

when his friend Spaun came in and found him. It
was all done in a few moments, the rushing accom-
paniment and all ; and that same evening it was
sung at the Convict before Schubert's friends and
devoted admirers, his old teachers and fellow pupils.
It was quite customary for Schubert to carry his
new compositions there to be tried, and he was
wont to find warm sympathy and appreciation.
But the Erl King was received rather coldly, as will
be hereafter explained.

This year 18 16 saw one hundred and thirty-one
new compositions by Schubert. Among these were
the fourth or "Tragic " symphony, in C minor, the
fifth symphony, in B flat, an overture for full or-
chestra, a concerto for violin and orchestra, a
rondo for violin and string orchestra, one string
quartet, one string trio, seven pieces of dance
music for piano, three sonatinas for piano and vio-
lin, and other piano music. There was an unfin-
ished opera, "Die Btirgschaft," followed by four
cantatas ; one, called " Prometheus," was the first
work composed by Schubert for money; it was
written in a single day and the honorarium was one
hundred florins in Viennese currency ; the occasion
was the name-day of a certain Herr Heinrich Wat-
teroth, of Vienna. Another similar but slighter
work was composed in honor of Herr Joseph Spen-
don, chief inspector of schools; a third was for
Schubert's father; the fourth was for the occasion
of Salieri's jubilee hereafter to be mentioned. Among
the sacred compositions was a magnificat for solo and
mixed voices with accompaniment of violin, viola,
hautboy, bassoon, trumpet, drum, and organ; the
duetto " Auguste jam Goelestium " for soprano and
tenor voices, accompanied by violins and violon-
cello, double-bass, bassoon, and hautboy; the
"Tantum ergo " for four voices and orchestra; the
fragment of a requiem in E flat ; the " Salve regina "
for four voices and orchestra; and especially the
noble "Stabat mater" in F minor, one of the finest
of Schubert's earlier contributions to church music.
Of this year's songs ninety-nine have been pre-
served, including the Wanderer, the three songs of
the Harper in '• Wilhelm Meister," Mignon's
"Sehnsucht," and " Kennst du das Land," " Der
Konig im Thule," and " Jager's Abendlied." These
songs are remarkable for strength, originality, and
ex(iuisite beauty. In the Wanderer, and " Wer nie
sein Brod mit Thranen ass," we find Schubert at
an elevation which he afterward scarcely surpassed.

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

355

It was Schubert's custom, from an early age, to
have quartet parties at his father's house on Sunday
afternoons. When at the Convict he used to go
home on Sundays for this purpose. As first ar-
ranged, the elder Schubert used to play the 'cello,
Ferdinand first violin, Ignaz second, and Franz the
viola. In those early days, if a wrong note was
heard from the 'cello, young Franz would modestly
say, "Father, there must be a mistake somewhere,"
and the hint was always well received. These Sun-
day quartets were often joined by friends and neigh-
bors. By degrees the number of violins was in-
creased, a double-bass and sundry wind instruments
were added, and the affair grew into an orchestra
which could perform Haydn's and Mozart's sym-
phonies. Presently it became necessary to have
the performances in a larger house, and in this way
two or three moves were made, and the Orchestral
Society of Amateurs was organized. Overtures by
Cherubini, Spontini, Boieldieu, and Mehul, and the
first and second symphonies of Beethoven were
performed. It was for this Society that Schubert
wrote his fourth and fifth symphonies and other
orchestral works. In the autumn of 1820 the
society broke down, as such societies are apt to do,
under its own weight. It became necessary to
have a large public hall for the meetings, and the
expense thus entailed put an end to the pleasant
and instructive enterprise. There can be little
doubt that it was of much use to Schubert in giving
him a chance to hear his own instrumental works
performed and criticised. To a young man of his
extremely modest and retiring disposition, moreover,
the friendships thus formed were of much value.

Schubert was a man to whom friends became
devotedly attached. He was faithful and true, a
man of thoroughly sound character, disinterested
and unselfish, without a particle of envy or jealousy
about him. He won affection without demanding
it or seeming to need it. He was one of those
men whom one naturally and instinctively loves.
Among his special friends we have already men-
tioned Spaun. Toward the end of 18 14 he became
acquainted with the poet Johann Mayrhofer, about
ten years his senior, and the acquaintance ripened
into a life-long intimacy. Mayrhofer was a man of
eccentric nature, with a tinge of melancholy, pos-
sibly an incipient symptom of the insanity which
many years afterward drove him to suicide. Per-
haps the most interesting feature of his intimacy

with Schubert was the powerful influence which the
latter's music exercised upon the development of
his poetical genius. It was under the spell of
Schubert's charm that Mayrhofer's best poems
came to blossom ; and many of them were set to
music by Schubert, among which " Erlafse," "Sehn-
sucht," " Nachtstuck, " "Die zurnende Diana,"
"Der Alpenjager," " Der Schiffer," "Am Strome,"
and " Schlummerlied " deserve especial mention.

Another of Schubert's friends, and the one who
probably exerted the most influence upon him, was
Franz von Schober. Their acquaintance began at a
critical moment. After three years of faithful and
conscientious work in school-teaching, Schubert
began to find the drudgery of his position intoler-
able, and in 18 16, as a public school of music was
about to be opened as an appendage to the normal
school at Laybach, near Trieste, he applied for the
post of director. To appreciate the situation, we
must not fail to note the amount of the director's
salary, five hundred Viennese florins, or about one
hundred dollars, a year ! Such was the coveted
income to which the alternative seemed to be for
Schubert, in Herr Kreissle's phrase, "an impecunious
future." From Salieri and from Spendon recom-
mendations were obtained, such as they were.
There was nothing cordial in them, nothing to
indicate that Schubert was a person of greater cali-
bre than a certain commonplace Jacob Schaufl who
obtained the appointment instead of him. Perhaps,
however, they may only have doubted Schubert's
capacity for a position of executive responsibility.
It was at this juncture that young Schober came
upon the scene, a student in comfortable circum-
stances, about eighteen years of age, who came to
Vienna to continue- his studies. He had fallen in
with some of Sc hubett's songs a year or two before,
and had conceived, an enthusiastic admiration
for the composer. When he found that the wonder-
ful genius was a boy of about his own age, wearing
out his nerves in a school-room, and yet turning off
divine music by the ream, he made up his mind to
interpose. He could at least offer a home, and he
persuaded Schubert to come and occupy his rooms
with him. There Schubert began to give music
lessons, but his earnings do not seem to have been
considerable or constant. With Schober he re-
mained a chum for some time, until the need of
room for Schober's brother, a captain of hussars,
led to a temporary change. From 18 19 to 1821

356

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Schubert had rooms with his friend Mayrhofer.
After 182 1 he lived nearly all the time with Schober
until within a few weeks of his death. Their
acquaintances were in the main a set of fine, culti-
vated young men who felt strong affection and
respect for the inspired musician. Among Schubert's
songs we find several set to Schober*s words, among
which we may mention " Pax vobiscum " and " Du
holde Kunst, in wieviel grauen Stunden."

The third of the friends whose names are insep-
arably associated with Schubert was not one of the
circle of young men just referred to, but a much
older person. Johann Michael Vogl was nearly
thirty years older than Schubert. In his youth he
had had some monastic training and had afterward
studied law and practised at the bar, but his rich
baritone voice and his love for music led him in
time to become a public singer, and for eight-and-
twenty years he was a member of the German
Opera Company. In an epoch notable for its great
dramatic singers he was rated high, not so much for
his vocal method as for the native quality of his
voice and his intelligent and sympathetic rendering
of his parts. He was a learned man, widely read in
philosophy and theology, with a deeply religious
nature and an intense feeling for music, — not a bad
sort of man to sing Schubert's songs. It was in
1 81 7 that Vogl first became aware of these treas-
ures. Schober pestered him to come and see his
wonderful friend and try some of his songs, but it
was not the first lime that this veteran had heard of
wonderful young men, and he did not want to be
bored. After a while, however, he called one even-
ing, hummed through half a dozen songs — among
them "Ganymed" and ** Des Schafer's Klage " —
and became more and more interested. "Well,
young man," he observed, on taking his leave,
" there is stuff in you, but yo,u squander your fine
thoughts instead of making the most of them."
But the more Vogl thought about the songs the more
they loomed up in his memory as strangely and won-
drously beautiful. He called again at the young
composer's room, uninvited, found more and more
music which riveted his attention, and it was not long
before that house became one of his haunts. It was
this intelligent and highly cultivated singer w^ho first
made Schubert known beyond the limited circle of
his early friends and school-mates. People in the
fashionable society of Vienna made their first ac-
quaintance with the Wanderer and the Erl King as

sung by Vogl*s rich voice and in his noble style, with
Schubert himself at the piano. Presently this fur-
nished a new career for Vogl. In 1821 circum-
stances led to the discontinuance of his work at the
Opera House, and he then began giving concerts, in
which German Lieder were sung, and those of Schu-
bert occupied a foremost place. In 1825 the two
friends made a little concert tour together in the
Salzburg country and Upper Austria. By that time
the new songs were becoming famous, though one
serious obstacle to the wide diffusion of their popu-
larity was the want of singers able to grapple with
their technical difficulties and to express their poet-
ical sentiment in an artistic manner. Operatic quips
and cranks and wanton flourishes would by no means
answer the purpose. Old conventional methods
were of no use. A passage from Vogl's diary is
worth quoting in this connection for the glimpse it
gives us of his fine artistic intelligence : — " Nothing
shows so plainly the want of a good school of sing-
ing as Schubert's songs. Otherwise, what an enor-
mous and universal effect must have been produced
throughout the world, wherever the German lan-
guage is understood, by these truly divine inspira-
tions, these utterances of a musical clairvoyance!
How many would have comprehended, probably for
the first time, the meaning of such expressions as
'speech and poetry in music,' 'words in harmony,'
* ideas clothed in music,' etc., and would have
learned that the finest poems of our greatest poets
may be enhanced and even transcended when trans-
lated into musical language ! Numberless examples
may be named, but I will mention only the Erl
King, Gretchen am Spinnrade, Schwager Kronos,
the Mignon and Harper's songs, Schiller's Sehn-
sucht, Der Pilgrim, and Die Biirgschaft."

No subsequent year of Schubert's life witnessed
so great a number of compositions as 18 16. For
the next year eighty-six compositions are given in
Sir George Grove's list. Of these fifty-two are
songs, including many of those set to Mayrhofer's
words. The two songs to Schober's words, above
mentioned, came in this year. Special mention
should also be made of the " Gruppe aus dem
Tartarus," to Schiller's words, and of " I^b der
Thranen " and " Die Forelle." " The Pilgrim " and
" Ganymede " also belong to this time. Of large
compositions for piano there were the sonatas in E
minor; B, Op. 147 ; A minor. Op. 164 ; F minor;
and A flat; besides the sonata in A, Op. 162, for

i <S 8.

: s !

358

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

piano and violin. There were also the variations
for piano on a theme of Hiittenbrenner's ; an adagio
and rondo ; two scherzos, and seventeen dances
for piano; a set of polonaises for violin; and a
string trio. The sixth symphony, in C, was written
or finished in November, 1817, and performed by
the amateur orchestral company above described.
There were also three overtures, of which two, writ-
ten in the Italian style, remind us that 1817 was the
year in which Rossini's operas, newly introduced to
Vienna, were received with wild enthusiasm. Schu-
bert was altogether too far above Rossini's plane of
thought to feel such interest in his work as he felt
for the masterpieces of polyphonic composition.
But he appreciated highly the Italian's gift of mel-
ody, and with the assimilative power which is wont
to characterize great genius, he took hints from him
which are apparent not only in the two Italian over-
tures, but perhaps also in the sixth symphony. Or
in other words, as all creative work is influenced by
its environment, there was a discernible Rossini
tinge in the atmosphere which Schubert was for the
moment breathing, and it has left its slight traces
uix)n a few of his compositions for that year, as
upon the work of less potent creators it left many
and deep impressions.

The year 1818 witnessed the beginning of an
episode in Schubert's Hfe, quite different in many
respects from what had preceded. He was en-
gaged by (Jount Esterhazy to teach music in his
family. There were two daughters, Marie, aged
thirteen, and Caroline, aged eleven, and a son aged
five. All were musically gifted, and their friend.
Baron von Schonstein, was a very accomplished
singer. The engagement took Schubert to the
Count's country home in Hungary for the summer,
while the winter season was passed in Vienna.
Schubert's intercourse with this amiable and culti-
vated family was very pleasant, and in the course
of it seems to have occurred the nearest approach
to a love affair that can be detected in his life.
Little Caroline Esterhazy was at the outset not at
an age likely to evoke the tender passion. But as
time elapsed and she came to be seventeen or
eighteen years of age, it has been supposed that
Schubert manifested symptoms of having fallen in
love with her. The evidence is slight, as evidence
is apt to be in such matters, in the absence of any-
thing like an overt declaration. The nearest that
Schubert seems ever to have come to such a de-

claration was once when Caroline in an innocent
moment of girlish coquetry asked him why, when he
was dedicating so many delightful works to other
persons, he had never dedicated anything to her.
Schubert is said to have replied, " Why should I ?
Is not everything that I have ever done dedicated
to you already ? " This anecdote does not go far as
proof. Question and answer might alike have been
merely pleasant jesting. Contemporary rumor, in
the case of a man so shy and reserved on all matters
of deep feeling as Schubert, cannot be expected to
tell us much. The general impression about him
was that he was almost insensible to the charms of
fair women. If this impression is to be taken as
true, an interesting question is suggested. How
could a man who was never in love have written
that immortal Serenade in which all that is sweetest
and most sacred in the love of man for woman
comes forth like a fresh breath from heaven ? Never
was voice of love so passionate and so pure. No-
where has human art ever found more consummate
and faultless expression than in this song of songs.
It could no more have come from a soul insensible
to the passion of love than figs can grow upon this-
tles. Probably therefore the general impression
about Schubert was due in the main to his reticence.
We have also to bear in mind that such a nature as
his can find in artistic creation a vent for emotional
excitement strong enough to craze the ordinary
mind. We know how it was with (ioethe, how the
worst pains of life were healed for him by being
thrown off in passionate poetr>'. This is quite
intelligible. It is a special illustration of Shakes-
peare's injunction : —

" Give sorrow words; the grief that cannot speak
Whispers the o*erfraught heart and bids it break."

This need for expression, felt by every human
creature, appears in men of profound and intense
interior life as a creative impulse ; it is so not only
with artists and poets, but in many cases with
scholars, philosophers, and scientific discoverers ;
the relief is found in giving objective form to the
thoughts that come welling up from the depths of
the spirit. But it is in art that creative expression
most becomes in itself an overmastering end, and
especially in the two arts that give swiftest and
readiest outlet to emotion, in poetry and in music.
Hence one of the noblest functions of art, to be
the consoler of the troubled soul, to sink its indi-
vidual sorrows in the contemplation of eternal

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

359

beauty, to bring weary and doubting humanity into
restful communion with the divine source of all its
yearnings, in the fJEiith that they have not been
given us for naught. If there ever was a soul
thus sustained and comforted, it was the pure and
earnest soul of Schubert ; the stream of song that
flowed from him was like the ecstatic but soothing
and strengthening prayer of the mediaeval saint.
One can see that this shy and sensitive young man,
somewhat inclined withal to self-depreciation, would
not be quick to avow a love which social conditions
at any rate scarcely favored. He was son of a
peasant, Caroline Esterhazy was daughter of a
count. Such a passion was likely to seek rehef in
strains of music, as Dante's worship of Beatrice
found expression in verse. As the thought of
Beatrice was in all that Dante wrote, so the story of
Schubert's momentary confession to CaroHne that
all that he had sung was dedicated to her is in
nowise improbable in itself. There is a circum-
stance which invests it with a considerable degree
of probability. Shortly after Schubert's death his
beautiful Fantasia in F minor, Op. 103, was pub-
lished with the inscription, " Dedicated to the
Countess Caroline Esterhazy by Franz Schubert,"
and Sir George Grove rightly infers that the pub-
lishers would hardly have ventured upon such a
step "unless the manuscript — probably handed
to them before his death — had been so inscribed
by himself." This is perhaps all that is known
concerning the question as to Schubert's love.

At the Esterhazy country-house Schubert seems
at first to have felt more at home in the kitchen
than in the drawing-room. A letter to Schober,
written in September, 1818, says: — "The cook is
a pleasant fellow; the ladies' maid is thirty; the
housemaid very pretty, and often pays me a visit ;
the nurse is somewhat ancient; the butler is my
rival ; the two grooms get on better with the horses
than with us. The Count is a little rough; the
Countess proud, but not without heart ; the young
ladies good children." It was not long before
Schubert found himself a great favorite with the
whole household, from the count down to the
grooms. From this time until his death he was
always welcome whenever he chose to come,
Baron von Schonstein, the singer already men-
tioned, had hitherto sung nothing but Italian
music, but he was now converted to the German
Lied, and for the rest of his life devoted himself to

Schubert's songs, until for his magnificent rendering
of them he acquired a fame scarcely second to
Vogl.

During the winter seasons in Vienna, Schubert
continued to give music lessons in the Esterhazy
family, but his home was apt to be in the humble
room with Mayrhofer, or afterwards again with
Schober. He was as regular with his work of
composing music as Anthony Trollope with his
novel- writing or Sainte-Beuve with his "Causeries
du Lundi." When Ferdinand Hiller was about
sixteen years old he made a visit to Vienna and
called upon Schubert. "Do you write much?"
asked Hiller, — a question which now sounds odd
enough, and shows how little knowledge of the
great composer there was outside of his own town.
" I write every morning," said Schubert, " and as
soon as I have finished one thing I begin another."
This regularity was simply an outcome of the fact
that the fount of inspiration was never dry. It was
not because it was work done for much needed
money, for the larger part of Schubert's work
never brought him any money. It was primarily
because singing was as spontaneous with him on
first awaking as with a bird; sometimes he could
not wait to get up and dress, but seized a sheet of
music paper and jotted down his first exuberant
thoughts while still in bed. After a piece was
finished, he sometimes heard it sung or played, and
sometimes did not ; in either case it was apt soon
to be tucked away in a cupboard drawer and for-
gotten ; there are several anecdotes of his listening
to old songs of his own without recognizing them.

After working till two o'clock in the afternoon,
Schubert used to dine, and then visit friends, or
take a walk, or sit in a caf^ over his schoppen of
wine or beer. At such times, as we have seen, the
sight of a poem, or perhaps some interesting inci-
dent, would call forth a sudden outburst of song.
Some of his noblest masterpieces came from the
beer garden. He does not seem to have been in
the habit of drinking anything stronger than beer
and wine. Of these light beverages he was very
fond, and as his head was easily affected, an opinion
has found currency that this appetite was a weak-
ness with Schubert, — perhaps his only assignable
weakness. The fact, however, that he was always
up early and quite fresh for the morning's work, is
clear proof that it could not have been a serious
weakness. Among friends with whom he was well

36o

FAMOUS COAf POSERS

acquainted he was genial and jovial, and liked to
sit and talk; but he habitually entertained a due
respect for to-morrow morning.

The compositions for the three years 1818-20
were about a hundred in number. There were
some noble church works, the fourth mass in C and
the fifth in A flat, a Salve Regina for soprano voice
with string orchestra, four hymns by Novalis, the
twenty-third Psalm to Moses Mendelssohn's version,
and the Easter cantata " I^zarus " ; also the
operetta " Die ZwilUngsbriider " and the fragment
of an unfinished opera, " Sakontala " ; an overture
for orchestra, quartetts, quintets, canzoni, many
dances for piano, and many songs.

The year 1821 marked a new era with Schubert;
in that year some of his compositions were first
published. Some of his friends were determined
to have a group of his songs engraved, among them
the Erl King which had now often been heard in
private concerts. They applied to two or three
of the most enterprising music publishers in Vienna,
but without success. There was no profit in such
publications, said the sagacious men of business.
The composer was so obscure that his name would
carry no weight ; and as for the songs, they were
strange affairs, the melodies too difficult for anybody
to sing, and the piano accompaniments quite im-
possible for any one to play ! As the publishers
thus proved unmanageable, some of Schubert's
friends had the Erl King engraved and printed by
subscription, and about the same time the song was
first heard at Vienna in a public concert, with the
accompaniment played by the composer himself.
It was in this year, as already observed, that Vogl
began giving concerts in which these songs took
a prominent place. In the course of a few months
seven groups of Schubert's songs were published on
commission, and their success was such that pub-
lishers were afterward ready to go on at their own
risk. Of new compositions this year saw the com-
pletion of the beautiful " Gesang der Geister liber
den Wassern" for four tenors and four basses, with
accompaniment of two violas, two 'cellos, and double-
bass. There was also the seventh symphony, for
the most part a sketch, but so full of clues that it
would not be difficult to complete it according to
the original intention. It looks as if the composer
had some other work upon his mind at the same
time, perhaps the Alfonso and Estrella presently to be
mentioned, and could not for the moment wait

to fill out all parts of the score, but made very
complete indications so as to be sure of recovering
his former thoughts on returning to it. Among this
year's songs are some that rank very high, as the
two Suleikas and the " Geheimes " to Goethe's
words, the "Lob der Thranen" and " Sey mir
gegrtisst." All these are outdone, however, by the
" Frtihlingsglaube," written in 1822, to Uhland's
words, a song which for artistic perfection is abso-
lutely unsurpassed.

The rapid development of Schubert's maturity
in 1822 is exhibited in the two movements of his
eighth symphony in B- minor, now commonly called
the Unfinished Symphony. It was written for the
Musikverein at Gratz, which had lately elected him
an honorary member. Why it was presented to the
society while still half-finished does not clearly
appear. The two first movements were completed
and the scherzo partly sketched. It is now more
often played and better known than any of his other
symphonies except the great tenth, in C major,
presently to be mentioned. There is greater con-
ciseness of expression, and in the opinion of some
critics, even more grandeur and beauty in the Un-
finished Symphony than in the Tenth. Here for the
first time in an orchestral work Schubert appears as
a completely independent master. In his earlier
symphonies, as in Beethoven's first and second, one
always feels the dominant influence of Haydn and
Mozart. In his sixth symphony, composed in 181 7,
we begin to see the influence of Beethoven, for
whom he was already coming to feel the love and
adoration that never ceased to occupy his mind
even upon his death-bed. In the Unfinished Sym-
phony he takes a new departure, as Beethoven did jn
his third or Eroica ; but this new departure, while
it profits by Beethoven, is peculiarly Schubertian ; the
composer's individuality is as completely expressed
in it as in his songs.

We have already had occasion to mention operas
or operettas in the lists of our composer's works
from year to year. His insatiable yearning to ex-
press himself in music was excited whenever he
happened to come across an available dramatic
poem, good or bad, and sometimes he was fain to
content himself with a wretched libretto. Hitherto
his music for the stage had been of much less im-
portance than his other compositions, though it
hardly need be said that it abounded in beautiful
and interesting conceptions. But the increase of

;

^

362

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

maturity just noticed in his orchestral music was
also shown in the production of his first grand opera,
"Alfonso and Estrella," in 1822, followed by his
second and last such work, "Fierabras," in 1823.

In the autumn of 1821 Schubert and his friend
Schober took a bit of vacation among the Styrian
Alps, where something suggested a subject for
the romantic opera, " Alfonso and Estrella," and
Schober wrote a libretto so much better than any-
thing our hero had yet had to work with that it
quite made his eyes sparkle. It may be doubted if
Don Quixote's housekeeper would have kept back
even this libretto from the flames, but of many a
musical drama that has solaced the wear>' mind we
may say that it was not made to be analyzed. An
opera should be judged not by the element that
would instantly evaporate in a logical crucible, but
by the opportunities it affords for dramatic situa-
tions. In this respect the Schober libretto, though
better than Schubert had ever worked with, had its
shortcomings ; the situations were given, but not
wrought up with sufficient dramatic power, so that,
in spite of the undeniable dramatic genius of the
composer, the general treatment was felt to be more
lyric than dramatic. The opera was also regarded
as too long, and the accompaniments were pro-
nounced impossible by the orchestras at the Vienna
theatres. For these reasons it proved impossible to
get it put upon the stage. It was first performed at
Weimar in 1854, under Liszt's direction, but was
coldly received. At length it was curtailed and
simplified by Johann Fuchs, and brought out at
Carlsruhe in. 188 1, and since then it has been per-
formed many times with marked success. The
overture, a superb piece of orchestral writing, is
often performed at concerts.

This opera was the occasion of a little tiff between
Schubert and Weber, who came to Vienna in 1823
to conduct his opera " Euryanthe." On hearing
that work performed, Schubert said that along with
many beauties in harmony and in dramatic treat-
ment it was wanting in freshness and originality of
melody, and was on the whole quite inferior to its
predecessor, " Der Freischiitz." Probably few
would dissent from this judgment to-day, but when
it was repeated to Weber it naturally irritated him,
and he is said to have exclaimed, " The dunce had
better learn to do something himself before he
presumes to sit in judgment on me." This hasty
remark was tattled about until Schubert heard of

it, and forthwith, armed with the score of " Alfonso
and Estrella," he called upon the famous northern
composer, to prove that he had not spoken without
knowing how operas ought to be written. After
looking through the score Weber ungraciously
observed, "You know it is customary for people to
drown the first puppies and the first operas I "
Poor health was already making Weber irritable,
and this remark was only an expiring flicker of
peevishness. He did not regard "Alfonso and
Estrella" as a puppy opera, but admired it, and
afterward tried, though unsuccessfully, to have it
performed in Dresden. The relations between the
two composers seem to have been friendly. Indeed
Schubert never bore malice to anybody, and it was
impossible for any one to harbor an unkind feeling
toward him.

Of "Fierabras" it need only be said that the
libretto was a bad one, the scene was Spain in the
days of Carlovingian romance, the score filled one
thousand manuscript pages, and the opera was
never performed. The romances, entr'actes, cho-
ruses, and ballet music, written this year for the
drama of " Rosamunde," rank among the com-
poser's most beautiful works, and are often per-
formed as concert-pieces, though the drama itself
has been lost.

During part of this year 1823 Schubert was ill
and obliged to go to the hospital. Yet besides all
this quantity of operatic music, he composed the
cycle of twenty songs known as " Die schone Miil-
lerin," to the words of Wilhelm MQller, containing
the exquisite "Wohin?, " " Ungeduld," "Trockne
Blumen," and others scarcely less beautiful. Some
of these were written in the hospital. As if this
were not enough, the same year's list contains " Du
bist die Ruh," and " Auf dem Wasser zu singen " ;
as well as the piano sonata in A minor. Op. 143.

The year 1824 was marked chiefly by piano
compositions, — two sonatas and an overture for
four hands, besides a vast quantity of dance music,
and the " Divertissement k I'hongroise," suggested
by an air hummed by the kitchen maid at the
Esterhazys' country house, where Schubert spent
the summer to recruit his health. There was also
a string quartet, and the celebrated octet for strings
and wood which is now so familiar. This activity
in the sonata form seems to have culminated next
year in the ninth symphony, which was almost
surely finished about August, 1825, but which has

SCHUBERT'S MONUMENT IN VIENNA. — From a photograph.

3^4

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

quite disappeared from sight. There were three
piano sonatas, besides the fragment of a fourth.
Of these the sonata in A minor, Op. 42, must
probably be pronounced the greatest of Schubert's
works for the piano, showing along with its wealth
of inventiveness a mastery of form almost as com-
plete as the best of the songs. Among the grand
songs of this year must be mentioned " Die junge
Nonne," and the group of seven to Scott's " I^dy
of the Lake," of which the most famous is the
"Ave Maria."

Our composer's progress toward perfect achieve-
ment in instrumental music is marked in 1826 by
the two string quartets in G and I) minor. The
latter is not only Schubert's greatest work in cham-
ber music, but is hardly surpassed by the work of
any other composer in this department. At the
same time came the piano sonata in G, Op. 78, of
remarkable breadth and grandeur. The Shake-
speare songs already mentioned belong to this year.

Among the works of 1827 the most memorable
was the second grand cycle of songs to words by
Wilhelm Mliller, — the immortal " Winterreise."
These jewels of lyric art, what lover of music will
fail to know them, so long as art endures ? But a
more sombre tone prevails in them than the song-
ster had sustained at such length before. The note
of unsatisfied longing, of the strange contrast be-
tween the glow of aspiration and the chill reaUty,
is most decisively struck in " FrlihUngstraum." In
the last of the cycle, the pathetic " Leiermann,"
the sadness is only heightened by the indescribably
delicate and playful humor which hovers about the
phrases. To us it may seem as if these lyrics
contained a premonition of the end that was not far
off; but probably Schubert did not suspect it.
His grandest outburst of creative power was yet to
come ; he was studying his art more earnestly than
ever, and in the true spirit of artist or scholar, as if
all eternity lay before him, though the dread sum-
mons might come to-morrow ; in the sweet words
of the old monkish distich : —

" Disce ut semper victurus,
Vive ut eras moriturus/'

Of worldly sources of strength and comfort this
great spirit had so few as to put to shame such
weaker mortals as complain of the ways of Provi-
dence. Of what is called business and its manage-
ment he was as innocent as a babe in arms. His
reticence, his unwillingness to intrude upon others,

often prevented his friends from realizing the
straits to which he was reduced. There can be
little doubt that even at this later period of Hfe he
sometimes suffered from cold and hunger, and it
has been thought that his death was hastened by
such privations. Salaried positions that he might
have creditably filled were given to men with more
self-assertion. His attempts at the more market-
able forms of music, as opera was then deemed to
be, failed from various untoward conditions ; and he
would sometimes sell for the price of a frugal
breakfast a song destined to bring wealth to some
publisher. The genial musician, Franz Lachner,
declares from personal knowledge that half a dozen
numbers of the " Winterreise " were written in a
single day and sold for a franc apiece ! If Schubert
had lived longer there would probably have been
an improvement in this state of things. The great-
ness of his posthumous fame is liable to make us
forget that his Hfe was ended at an age when the
most brilliant men are usually just beginning to win
their earliest laurels. From 1822 to 1828 his repu-
tation was increasing rapidly, and before long would
have become so great as probably to work some
improvement in his affairs. With time the recogni-
tion of his genius was to seize the whole musical
world as it seized upon Beethoven.

The story of the relations between these two
artists is touching. It seems singular enough that
Schubert and Beethoven should have lived in the
same city for thirty years without meeting more
than once until the very end. By his twentieth year,
if not before, the feeling of Schubert for the older
composer had come to be little short of adoration.
But Beethoven was absorbed in work, and stone deaf
withal, and not always easy of approach, and his
adorer was timid. Sometimes he came into the
caf^ where Schubert was dining and sat down at
another table. For a man of the world to get up,
step across the room, and open a conversation with
the demigod, might seem no very difficult under-
taking ; for Schubert it was simply impossible. But
in 1822 a meeting was at length brought about.
His "Variations on a French Air" were published
by Diabelli and dedicated to Beethoven, and
Diabelli took Schubert with him to the master's
house to present the offering in person. Beethoven
received the visitors graciously, and paper and
pencil for conversation were handed to them as usual,
but Schubert was too confused to write a word. Most

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

iH

likely it was Diabelli who handed to Beethoven the
Variations and called his attention to the tribute of
admiration printed at their head. On looking over
the music Beethoven stumbled upon some daring
or questionable innovation of style, and in his most
kindly manner turned to Schubert to inquire his
reason for it, or perhaps to make some mild criti-
cism quite proper from an artist of fifly-two years to
one of twenty-five. At this the poor fellow simply
lost his head, and with some incoherent exclamation

fled into the street. Ah, what chagrin when once
safely alone, and the very thing he ought to have said,
so neat and telling, popped into his head ! But to go
back, or to speak to the great raan again seemed
more than ever impossible.

It was during Beethoven's last illness in 1827
that he first came to know Schubert. Beethoven's
friend and biographer Schindler brought him a
parcel of Schubert's songs, including the " Schone
MUllerin " group, " Die junge Nonne," and others.

VIEW IN CEM£TE«Y A

k, SHOWING TOMBS OF BEETHOVEN, MOZART A

Beethoven's astonishment and admiration knew no
bounds. He studied the songs with most profound
interest, declared that their composer was destined
to become a great power in the world, and ex-
pressed deep regret that he had not known more
about him. Scarcely a day passed without his
reverting to the subject, and it must of course have
been this that led Schubert to visit him twice. On
the first occasion there was some affectionate talk
between them ; on the second the dying man was
no longer able to speak, but only made some unin-
telligible signs, and Schubert went away bowed
down with grief. At the funeral he was one of the
torch -bearers, and on the way home from the grave-

yard he stopped with I^chner and another friend
at the Mehlgrube tavern, and they drank a glass of
wine to the memory of the mighty master who had
left them. Then Schubert proposed a second glass
to that one of themselves who should be the first to
follow. It was to be himself, and very soon.

An instance of the rapidly growing interest in his
music was furnished by the success of a private con-
cert which he gave for his own benefit early in
1828. The programme consisted entirely of his
own compositions, the audience was targe and
enthusiastic, and the sum, equivalent to one
hundred and sixty dollars, which that evening
brought him, must have given him an unwonted

366

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

sense of wealth. It was his first and last concert of
this sort. For creative work this last year of his
life was the most wonderful, and indeed it would be
difficult to cite from the whole history of music a
parallel to it. The one orchestral work was the
colossal tenth symphony in C major, which showed
so unmistakably upon whose shoulders the mantle
of the dead master had fallen, that it used some-
times to be called " Beethoven's tenth symphony."
But there is no imitation of Beethov^en or any other
master in this work ; it is as individually and in-
tensely Schubertian as the Erl King. It was first
performed in Vienna about a month after its com-
poser's deat.h, but its technical difficulties caused it
to lie neglected and forgotten until 1838, when
Robert Schumann carried the score to Leipsic and
studied it with Mendelssohn ; and it was again
given to the world, under Mendelssohn's direction,
in the following year. Since then it has been one
of the best known and most thoroughly loved of all
the symphonies written since Beethoven's, and it
ranks undoubtedly among the foremost ten or
twelve orchestral masterpieces of the world.

Side by side with this symphony sprang into
existence the mass in K flat, the most finished and
the most sublime of Schubert's masses, and stand-
ing, like the symphony, in the foremost rank of all
works of its kind. And along with this came the
master's first and only oratorio, " Miriam's Song of
Triumph," a noble work, in which, however, Schu-
bert only supported the vocal score with an accom-
paniment for piano ; so that it must be regarded as
in this sense incomplete. It has often been per-
formed with orchestration by I^chner, but still
needs to be completed by some master more cap-
able of entering into the comi)o»er's intention.

Outdoing his earlier self in all directions at once,
Schubert wrote in this same year his quintet in C
major for strings, which among his works in cham-
ber music is equalled only by the D- mi nor quartet
of 1826. And so, too, with his piano music; be-
sides many other works poured forth at this time,
we have three superb sonatas, of which the one in
B-flat is dated September 28, less than eight weeks
before his death. From all his piano works it
would be hard to select one fuller of his peculiar
poetical charm. Among the sonatas its only peers
are the A minor, Op. 42, and the G major. Op. 78.

In some of the songs of this year the genius of
the composer reached a height scarcely attained

before. Besides a few others, uncounted drops in
this ocean of achievement, there were fourteen,
not obviously intended as a cycle, but published
in a group, soon after Schubert's death, with the
publisher's title, " Swan Songs." It is enough to
mention that this group contains the "Serenade,"
" Aufenthalt," and "Am Meer," matchless for in-
tensity of emotion as for artistic perfection of form.
Whichever of this group he wrote last was truly his
swan song ; it is commonly believed to have been
the " Taubenpost," dated in October.

During this last year of marvellous creative activ-
ity Schubert had suffered frequently from headache
and vertigo. Such cerebral excitement entailed an
excessive rush of blood to the head. Early in
September he moved from his lodgings with Scho-
ber to a house which his brother Ferdinand had
lately taken. The situation was near the open
country and thought to be more favorable for air
and exercise. Unfortunately the house was newly-
built and damp ; very likely the drainage was
defective. Schubert evidently had no suspicion of
his dangerous condition, until on the last evening
of October, while supping with some friends at the
Rothen Kreuz inn, having taken some fiih from his
plate he suddenly threw down his knife and fork,
saying that food had become as odious as poison.
This somewhat alarmed his friends, but he was as
full of plans for future work as if his health had been
robust. On November 3, he took a long walk to
attend the performance of a Latin requiem composed
by his brother Ferdinand, the last music he ever heard.
He had lately begun studying the scores of Handel's
oratorios, and had thus become impressed with the
fact that in counterpoint he had still much to
learn. Though greatly fatigued with his walk on
November 3, he went next day to see Sechter, a
famous teacher of counterpoint, and made arrange-
ments for taking a course of lessons ; the text-book
and the dates were settled upon. It is doubtful if
Schubert ever went out again. The disturbance of
the stomach, which prevented him from taking
food, continued, and his strength ebbed away. A
letter to Schober on the eleventh says that he can
barely get from the bed to a chair and back again ;
he has been reading the Last of the Mohicans,
the Spy, the Pilot, and the Pioneer ; and if Schober
happens to have anything else of Cooper's, or
any other interesting book, he would like to have
him send it. Something like typhus fever was

SCHUBERT'S TOMB IN VIENNA. — From a photograph.
Erected to his memoiy by the Vienna Manner Gesangs-Verein (Male Choius).

36B

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

setting in. After the fourteenth he was confined
to his bed, but was still able to correct the proofs
of the " Winterreise." On the seventeenth he
became delirious. The next day he complained of
having been taken to a strange and dreadful room,
and when his brother Ferdinand tried to soothe
him with the assurance that he was at home, he
replied, " No, it cannot be so ; Beethoven is not
here ! " On the next day there passed away one of
the sweetest and truest souls that ever looked with
human eyes. He was buried in the Wahring
cemetery in a grave as near as possible to that of
Beethoven. Upon a monument afterward erected
at the head of the grave was inscribed the epitaph,
by Franz Grillparzer : " Music has here entombed
a rich treasure, but still more glorious hopes. Here
lies Franz Schubert, born Jan. 31, 1797, died Nov.
19, 1828, aged 31 years." Much fault has been
found with the second clause of this epitaph, and
Herr Kreissle does not seem to have quite under-

stood it as it was meant. It was true, as Schu-
mann said of him, " He has done enough, and
praised be he who, like Schubert, has striven and
accomplished." Nevertheless it was equally true
that he was cut off while his powers were rapidly
expanding, and at a moment when even greater
achievement, though difficult to imagine, would have
been no more than a logical consequence of what
had gone before.

Schubert's personal appearance was not attractive.
He was short and round-shouldered, and in his
homely face there was nothing to betray the sacred
fire within him save the brightness of the eyes.
His character was almost without a flaw. Sim-
plicity, modesty, kindness, truthfulness, and fidelity
were his marked attributes. He was utterly free
from envy or malice, and not a trace of selfishness
appears in anything he ever said or did. His life
was devoted, with entire disinterestedness, to the
pursuit of the noblest aims of art.

Concerning his position in the history of music
there is but little question, and the subject admits
of a brief statement. The man who died in his
thirty- second year, leaving behind him at least
eleven hundred and thirty-one such compositions,
must surely be called the most prolific of composers,
even after allowing for the fact that more than six
hundred of these works were songs, and therefore
brief. We may safely say, too, that for creative
spontaneity such a man can never have been sur-
passed, perhaps scarcely ever have been equalled.
This spontaneous genius found its first and most
characteristic expression in vocal song, and it is
commonly if not universally agreed that Schubert
was the greatest composer of songs that ever lived.
In this department of music he marks an era. In
him the German Lied reached a plane of develop-
ment to which it had not attained before him.

The German Lied (i.e. Lay) was originally a
Volkslied (i. e. Folk's-lay) or popular melody. The
merit of popular melody lies largely in its spon-
taneity. In German popular melody, from the
oldest times, the merit of beauty has been added to
that of spontaneity, inasmuch as the Germans, like
the Slavs, are naturally musical in a sense in which

English-speaking people are not. No German-
speaking people would tolerate for a national air
such a tune as Yankee Doodle. In the plainest
German folk-song may be found spontaneous sim-
plicity without vulgarity. Hence the Volkslied has
been available as a source of melodic suggestiveness
to German composers. It is one such chief source,
the Gregorian chant being the other. To the
presence of this folk-song element we may largely
ascribe the far higher poetic quality of German
classical music as compared with the more prosaic
musical declamation of the modern French and
Italians.

But as the earlier German composers subjected
the Volkslied to elaborate contrapuntal treatment,
while on the one hand they added to its range and
depth of expression, on the other hand they de-
prived it to some extent of its indescribable charm.
Artistic music began to be divorced from the
Volkslied, and with the advance of musical educa-
tion the latter seemed to be falling into decay.
But with the revival of German literature which
dates from Lessing, there began a new develop-
ment of national spirit among Germans, of which
we have seen the culmination in our own time.

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

369

One of the early symptoms was the introduction of
the Volkslied element into poetry by Herder and
Goethe. About the same time we find the same
element appearing in the thematic treatment of
symphonies, sonatas, and string quartets by Haydn
and Mozart, especially in the adagios. In Mozart's
songs there is a great development in dramatic
treatment, as for example, in " Ungltickliche Liebe."
The nearest approach made by Mozart to the kind
of song afterward developed by Schubert was prob-
ably in *' Das Veilchen," the only one of his songs
set to Goethe's words. As Mozart was pre-emi-
nently a musical dramatist, so was Beethoven first
and foremost a symphonist; and in his songs the
most noticeable new feature is the enrichment of
the harmonies and the profound increase of signifi-
cance in the instrumental accompaniments. We
see this in the magnificent "Adelaide," which,
however, resembles an aria rather than a genuine
Lied. In some parts of Beethoven's exquisite
cycle, " An die feme Geliebte," he comes nearer
to the Schubertian form of song.

Now in Schubert all the elements of intensity,
power, and poetical depth in song are found united
as never before in such perfection or on such a
scale. The breadth and vigor of dramatic treat-
ment, the profound and subtle harmonic changes,
the accumiilation of effect by the rhythm and some-
times by the independent melodic themes of the
accompaniment, are all to be found in his songs ;
and at the same time the perfect spontaneity and
the indescribable poetical fragrance of the Volkslied
are fully preserved. Utterances that spring from
the depth of the human soul are clothed in the
highest forms of art without losing their naivete.
We must thus rank Schubert among the most con-
summate masters of expression the world has ever
seen. His songs represent the high-water mark
of human achievement in one direction, as Bee-
thoven's symphonies represent it in another. All
subsequent composers, beginning with Mendelssohn
and Schumann, have been pupils of Schubert in
song-writing, but no one has yet equalled the mas-
ter. Mendelssohn's songs, while perfect in form
and bewitching for grace, are far inferior to Schu-
bert's in intensity of passion. On the other hand
Schumann has written some songs — such as
" FrUhlingsnacht," " Ich grolle nicht," the " Frauen-
liebe" cycle, and others — which for concentrated
fire, as well as for original and magnificent har-

monies — almost surpass those of Schubert ; but in
wealth of imagination, in spontaneity and variety,
he remains distinctly inferior to his master.

In thus carrying the Lied to the highest point of
development it has yet reached, Schubert became
one of the chief sources of inspiration for modem
music in all its departments. The influence of his
conception of the Lied is to be seen in all his most
highly developed and characteristic writing for
piano, for orchestra, and for choras. In his
earlier symphonies, quartets, and sonatas he was
strongly influenced by his study of Mozart, and his
own individuality is by no means so distinctly
asserted as in his songs. If the sonata form of
expression were as easily caught as the simple song
form, this need not have been the case, .\fter
Schubert had mastered the sonata form so that it
became for him as easy a vehicle of spontaneous
expression as the Lied, his sonatas and symphonies
became strongly characteristic and replete with
originality. This is exemplified in his eighth and
tenth symphonies, in his piano sonatas. Op. 42 and
Op. 78, and in his later chamber music. Jn such
compositions he simply worked within the forms per-
fected by Beethoven and did nothing to extend
them. But his musical individuality, saturated with
the Lied, impressed upon these noble works features
that have influenced all later instrumental music,
imparting to it a more romantic character. As Mr.
Paine observes, "we are constantly surprised by
the sudden and abrupt modulations, rhythmical
effects of melody and accompaniment which we call
Schubert's that give variety and life to his move-
ments. The Unfinished Symphony in B minor is
perhaps the most noteworthy in these respects ; it is
the epitome of his genius, and well t3rpifies his own
unfinished but perfect life."

In similar wise, in his smaller works for piano —
his impromptus, " moments musicals," dances,
marches, variations, etc. — we see the marked in-
fluence of the Lied. The impromptu in G major.
Op. 90, for example, is a " song without words."
In piano music not only Mendelssohn and Schu-
mann, but also Chopin, drew copious inspiration
from Schubert, who thus stands as one of the prin-
cipal founders of the modem imaginative and ro-
mantic schools.

We have seen that the Erl King was at first coldly
received. It marked a new departure in the dra-
matic treatment of musical themes ; the ears of the

24

370

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

listeners were not taught to expect such treatment ;
they were disturbed by the intensity of passion and
bewildered by the boldness of the harmonies. In
particular at the superb discord where the child
cries that the Erl King is seizing him — where the
G flat of the voice comes against the rushing trip-
lets on F natural in octaves resting upon E flat in
the bass — much doubt was expressed, and the
worthy Ruzicka's ingenuity was somewhat taxed to
explain and justify such a combination. But indeed
since the beginning of this century the modern ear
has received a remarkable education in appreciating
the use and beauty of dissonances. Schubert's
treatment of the Erl King ballad was at first disap-
proved by Goethe himself ; as he said, " it did not
agree with his view of the subject." But Goethe's
opinions on musical matters were of small value ;
the range of his appreciativeness was in this direc-
tion narrowly limited. He was fond of the worthy
old Zelter, who set to music more than a hundred
of his songs. Of these Goethe said " he could
scarcely have believed music capable of producing
such delicious tones." Zelter 's music was certainly
not without merit, and his setting of the " Konig
im Thule " is still sung and deservedly admired ;
but to go from Zelter to Schubert required a sorcery
more potent than that which brought Helen of Troy
to become the bride of mediaeval Faust. At any
rate Goethe found it so. Toward the end of his
life, when he heard the Erl King sung with its full
dramatic effect by Madame Schroder- Devrient, he
acknowledged its power, but it was probably the
superb woman and her style of singing that moved
him rather than the music. At one time the mod-
est Schubert, at the instigation of some friend, ven-
tured to send to the great poet some of the settings
of his songs accompanied by a letter tremulous with
awe. But Goethe never answered the letter, and ap-
parently took no notice of the music. " Neither in
Goethe's works," says Kreissle, " nor in his corres-
pondence with Zelter, nor in his conversations with
Eckermann, do we find a syllable in connection with
Schubert's name." Little did either the poet or the
musician realize that throughout all future time their
names were to be inseparably associated. It was
the poems of Goethe that inspired Schubert with
some of his most beautiful and sublime conceptions.
He set sixty-seven of them to music, and of the
whole number there is perhaps not one in which we
do not feel that the song of the greatest of German

poets has been invested with a higher spiritual life
by the music of the most poetical composer the
world has seen. How full of the most delicate
fragrance of poetry are the lines "Ueber alien
Gipfeln ist Ruh," etc. ! but when one has once as-
sociated them with Schubert's music, one feels that
to break this association (were it possible) and re-
turn to the verses pure and simple would be a far
greater descent than from poetry to prose.

In spite of the startling originality already evinced
in the Erl King, we find a decided conservatism
alleged for some of Schubert's musical judgments
at this youthful period. It was a time when
Beethoven was still by many people regarded with
suspicion as a reckless innovator upon the orthodox
forms and methods. Since the middle of the cen-
tury, indeed, one has often heard some of the
magnificent works of Beethoven's third period, in-
cluding his four latest piano sonatas and some of
his quartets, set down as eccentric vagaries instead
of being comprehended in their true light as the
ripe fruits of his most consummate artistic maturity.
At the beginning of the century more or less oppo-
sition was excited even by the earlier works of
Beethoven which transgressed the limits of expres-
sion within which Haydn and Mozart had been
confined. Schubert was at that time a friend and
to some extent a pupil of the Venetian composer,
Antonio Salieri, conductor of the choir in the
Emperor's chapel. Salieri gave Schubert more or
less instruction in thorough-bass and used to correct
and criticise his compositions. He advised him not
to waste his time over ballads and lyrics by Goethe
and Schiller, but to set to music by preference the
old and formal Italian stanzas. Another piece
of advice, as applied to the inexhaustible Schubert,
is deliciously grotesque ; Salieri thought he had
better "husband his resources of melody." There
is a point of view, as we shall presently see, from
which a grain of sound sense can be descried in
such counsel; but these incidents sufficiently in-
dicate Salieri's conservatism of temperament. He
wrote about forty operas, a dozen oratorios and
cantatas, and a quantity of miscellaneous vocal and
and instrumental works, not without merit, all of
which have virtually sunk into oblivion. In June
1816 there was a jubilee festival to celebrate Salieri's
residence of fifty years in Vienna, and many com-
positions of his pupils, written especially for the
occasion, were produced. The music ended with a

fc^

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Fac-simile letter from Schubert, to committee of Austrian Musical Society which accompar^ied his score of the C-minor

symphony. Original in possession of the " Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde " In Vienna.

372

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

chorus from Salieri's oratorio, " Christ in Hades,"
in which the composer had caught some of his
inspiration from Gluck. After returning from the
performance, Schubert wrote that same evening in
his diary as follows : — "It must be pleasant and
invigorating to the artist to see his pupils gathered
about him, every one striving to do his best for his
master's jubilee feast ; to hear in all their com-
positions a simple and natural expression, free from
all that bizarrerie which prevails with the majority
of composers of our time, and for which we are in
the main indebted to one of our greatest German
artists ; free, I say, from that bizarrerie which links
the tragic with the comic, the agreeable with the
repulsive, the heroic with the whimpering, the most
sacred themes with buffoonery, — and all without
discrimination ; so that the hearers are goaded to
frenzy instead of dissolving in love, and tickled into
senseless laughter rather than raised toward heaven.
The fact that this miserable bizarrerie has been
proscribed and exiled from the circle of his pupils,
so that their eyes may rest on pure, holy Nature,
must be a source of lively satisfaction to the artist
who, with a Gluck for a pioneer, has learned to
know Nature, and has clung to her in spite of the
most unnatural influences of our day."

Now the person here mentioned as " one of our
greatest German artists " can hardly be any other
than Beethoven, and the following clauses, in which
the bizarrerie ascribed to him is defined, give ex-
pression to the stock objections that were urged in
those days, by an unintelligent public and by musi-
cians of narrow vision, against his music. Did the
youthful Schubert mean to echo and approve these
shallow criticisms? Sir George Grove seems to
think so, and quotes from the same diary a passage,
dated three days earlier, in which most intense love
and admiration is expressed for Mozart's music ;
from which it is inferred that there can be no doubt
to which of the two great masters Schubert was most
strongly attached at that time. Kreissle, on the
other hand, without offering any explanation of the
passage above quoted, simply comments on it as a
series of " somewhat misty and confused remarks."

In those days there was nothing strange in a
young musician, even if endowed with vast powers
of comprehension, finding Mozart always satisfactory
and Beethoven sometimes unintelligible. That was
one of the musical limitations of that particular
moment in the history of music. If the entry in

Schubert's diary is to be taken seriously, it is only
one among many illustrations of the difficulty which
one creative genius often finds in comprehending
the methods and results of another creative genius.
But in Schubert's case there is some improbability
in such a view. His early symphonies and string
quartets, indeed, show that the influence of Haydn
and Mozart was at that time quite masterful with
him, while the influence of Beethoven was com-
paratively slight. But he had already spoken of
Beethoven in terms of most enthusiastic and rev-
erent admiration ; and it is not easy to believe that
at the age of nineteen the composer of the Erl King
could have seriously repeated the crude stock
objections that were urged against the composer
of the C-minor symphony by old fossils like Salieri.
The entry in ScKubert's diary is redolent of irony,
and was probably intended as a harmless vent for
his satirical amusement at the foibles of the kindly
old master who tried to repress his youthful ex-
uberance and advised him not to meddle with
German ballads. This kind of humor without bit-
terness was eminently characteristic of Schubert.

Schubert's one fault was one to which allusion
has already been made. As is so oflen the case, it
was closely connected with his chief attribute of
strength. His unrivalled spontaneity often led him
into diffuseness. Melodies tumbled forth in such
lavish profusion as to interfere with the conciseness
of his works and mar their artistic form. This is
chiefly true of his earlier instrumental works. It is
not often the case with his vocal songs. There his
musical creativeness is constrained into perfection
of form through his completely adequate poetical
conception of the words. From the Erl King to
" Am Meer " his greatest songs are remarkable for
saying just enough and knowing exactly when to
stop. It is noticeable that he very seldom repeats
the same verbal phrases, with changes of melody
or harmony, as is customary in arias. In the arias,
as well as in the grand choruses, of oratorios, can-
tatas, and operas, such repetition is often of the
highest value as leading to an accumulation of sub-
lime or gorgeous effects hardly otherwise attainable.
But inasmuch as it is an artificial means of produc-
ing effects and would thus interfere with the simple
spontaneity of the Lied, it would generally be out
of place there. With Schubert the words of the
poem are not merely a vehicle for the melody, but
poetry and music are fused into such identity that

FRANZ PETER SCHUBERT

373

when one has once known them it becomes impos-
sible to separate them. In his earlier instrumental
works, however, released from the guidance of the
poetical thought expressed in words, Schubert's
exuberance of fancy often runs away with him, and
takes him into a trackless forest of sweet melodies
and rich harmonies from which he finds it difficult
to emerge. But in his more mature works we find
him rapidly outgrowing this fault and acquiring
complete mastery of his resources. In the A-
minor sonata, the D-minor quartet, and the last
two symphonies, the form is as perfect as the
thought; and we are thus again reminded that
Schubert, like young Lycidas and others whom the
gods have dearly loved, was cut off in his early
prime.

So careless of fame was Schubert, so suddenly
did death seize him, and so little did the world
suspect the untold wealth of music written upon
musty sheets of paper tucked away in sundry old
drawers and cupboards in Vienna, that much of it
has remained unknown until the present day. As
from time to time new songs, sonatas, trios, or sym-
phonies were brought to light, a witty French jour-
nal began to utter doubts of their genuineness and to
scoff at the " posthumous diligence ** of " the song-
writer Schubert.** This was in 1839. Schumann
was one of the first to bring to light the great
merits of Schubert's genius, as we have seen in the
case of his Symphony in C major, and his enthusi-
asm for Schubert knew no bounds. " There was a
time," he said, "when it gave me no pleasure to speak
of Schubert ; I could only talk of him by night to
the trees and stars. Who amongst us, at some time
or another, has not been sentimental ? Charmed by
his new spirit, whose capacities seemed to me
boundless, deaf to everything that could be urged
against him, my thoughts were absorbed in Schu-
bert."

Since then much more has been dpne toward
collecting and editing these woncerful manuscripts,
and the thanks of the whole world of music-lovers
are due to Sir George Grove for his devoted per-
sistence in this work. Vast as Schubert's fame has
come to be, it is probably destined to grow yet
greater as his works and his influence are more
intimately studied. Few indeed have been the
composers who have ever brought us nearer to the
eternal fountains of divine music.

The original documents for a biographical sketch,
excepting the vast mass of manuscript music, are
less abundant than with most other musicians of
the highest rank. For this fact several causes may
be assigned. Schubert was as careless of fame as
Shakespeare. He was shy of disposition and inclined
to withdraw himself from the world's gaze. He was
not a virtuoso, and was never called upon, like the
youthful Mozart, to play the piano or any other in-
strument before crowned heads, or in the presence
of a public wild with enthusiasm ; nor did he ever
come into prominence as a director or conductor,
like Handel and Mendelssohn. There was thus no
occasion for him to make long journeys and be-
come personally known to his contemporaries. In
the course of his short life, except for a little travel-
ling in rural Styria and Upper Austria, he never
went outside of Vienna ; and there he was not, like
Beethoven, thrown habitually into the society of
aristocratic people ; his few companions were for
the most part of humble station, though some of
them in later years were not unknown to fame.
The obscurity of Schubert during his life- time can-
not be better illustrated than by the fact that such a
kindred spirit should have lived so many years in
the same city with Beethoven — and Vienna was not
then a large city — before attracting his attention.
Nor did Schubert acquire distinction as a musical
critic, like Schumann, or leave behind him writings
characterized by philosophic acuteness or literary
charm. He was simply and purely a composer, the
most prolific, all things considered, that ever lived.
He poured forth with incredible rapidity, songs,
symphonies, sonatas, operas, masses, chamber-music,
until sudden death overtook him. A great deal of
this music he never heard himself except in his in-
nermost soul ; much of it still remained in manu-
script forty years after his death ; during his life he
was known chiefly as a song writer, and in that
department his unequalled excellence was recog-
nized by few, while it was too soon for any one to
comprehend the significance of his creative work in
its relations to the development of modern music.
Thus the reputation of Schubert, more than that of
any other composer of like eminence, is a posthu-
mous reputation. His existence was too large a fact
for mankind to take in until after he had passed
away. These facts account for the comparative
slightness of biographical material in Schubert's case.
There is, nevertheless, material enough to give us

374

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

an adequate picture of that singularly simple and
uneventful life, the details of which are largely com-
prised in the record of the compositions turned off
one after another with bewildering rapidity.

Among biographical sources the first place belongs
to the sketch "Aus Franz Schubert's Leben," by his
brother Ferdinand Schubert. It was published in
Schumann's " Neues Zeitschrift fiir Musik," 1839,
numbers 33-36, and is so good as to make one
wish there were much more of it. Between 1S29
and 1880 personal reminiscences of Schubert were
published by Mayrhofer, Bauemfeld, Schindler, Sofie
Mtiller, and Ferdinand HiUer, bibliographical notes
of which are given in Grove's " Dictionary of Music,"
Vol. III. p. 370, The first attempt at a thorough
biography was the book of Kreissle von Hellbom,
" Franz Schubert," of which the second edition,
published at Vienna in 1865, is an octavo of 619
pages. Though dull and verbose in style, and quite
without literary merit, its fullness and general
accuracy of information make it a very valuable

work. An English translation by Mr, Arthur Duke
Coleridge was published by Longmans, Green & Co.,
in 1869, in 2 vols. 8vo, with an appendix by Grove,
containing the results of researches made among
Schubert manuscripts in Vienna in 1867, Much
slighter works are the biographies by Reissmann
(Berlin, 1873), Higgli (Leipsic, 1880), Frost (Lon-
don, 1881), and the article in Wurzbach's "Eio-
graphisches Lexicon" (Vienna, 1876). The article
by Sir George Grove, in his " Dictionary of Music "
(London, 1883), for critical accuracy and thorough-
ness of information leaves little to be desired.
There are also many excellent and profoundly
appreciative notices of Schubert and his works
scattered through Schumann's " Gesammelte Schrif-
ten liber Musik und Musiker," je Aufl., Leipz.,
1871. From the sources thus enumerated, as well
as from a long study of Schubert's songs and piano
music and an acquaintance more or less extensive
with his other works, the foregoing sketch has been
prepared.

^a-Hyi/^iU^^

VIENN* OPERA HOUSE.-

' /

LUDWIG SPOHR

'MucUon of a IUhBtnpli portrait fry Si

LUDWIG SPOHR

SPOHR, celebrated as a

I April 25, 1784, at Bruns-
His father, a physician, and
her both had musical incli-
nations, the former being a flute player and the latter
a pianist and singer. They left Brunswick when
Ludwig was two years old andwenttoSeesen, where
the early childhood of the future composer was
passed. The boy's musical gifts made themselves
known early in life and he sang with his mother
when he was only four years old. According to his
own story in his autobiography, he began to play the
violin without instruction at the age of five. He
must have shown some talent, for he was turned over
to Herr Riemenschneider for instruction. In a
short time he was allowed to practise music with the
family in the evenings and with his parents per-
formed trios by Kalkbrenner for violin, flute and
piano.

About the year 1790 or 1791, Dufour, a. French
violinist, arrived at Seesen and the boy, having heard
him play, did not rest until he became the French-
man's pupil. Dufour perceived the child's great
gifts and persuaded Dr. Spohr to abandon the idea of
educating his boy in medicine, and to decide to make
a musician of him. While studying with Dufour, Spohr
made his first crude attempts at composition, even
beginning an opera, which, however, went no further
than an overture, a chorus and an aria. Dufour ad-
vised that the child be sent to Brunswick to continue
his studies. At Brunswick he lived in the house of
one Michaelis, a rich baker, and studied the violin
under Kunisch, of the Ducal orchestra, and counter-
point under Hartung, an old organist. Hartung
was very severe with his young pupil and scratched
out so much that the boy felt that none of his ideas
were left. However, the ill health of the organist
brought the lessons to an end in a few months, and
this was all the instruction in theory that Spohr ever

received. He now continued his studies by reading
scores, which Kunisch obtained for him from the
theatre library. He made such progress that he
appeared at one of the concerts of the Catherine
School with a vioHn composition of his own. His
success was such that he was invited to play at the
subscription concerts of the Deutsche Haus and
was allowed to play for practice in the theatre or-
chestra, where he became acquainted with much
good music.

He was now, by the advice of Kunisch, put under
the instruction of Maucourt, the leading violinist of
Brunswick. A year later the young violinist set out
for Hamburg with a few letters of introduction and
a determination to appear as an artist. He failed,
however, to get a hearing, and his money being ex-
hausted, he set out on foot to return to Brunswick.
In his despair he determined to make a personal
appeal to the Duke of Brunswick, to whom he drew
up a petition and presented it when he met the
nobleman, walking in his park. The Duke asked
who had worded the petition. " Well, who but I
myself ? " answered Spohr ; " I need no help for
that." The Duke said : " Come to the palace to-
morrow at eleven ; we will then speak further about
your request." Upon which the boy departed quite
happy. The Duke questioned Maucourt about
Spohr's ability, and when the lad called the next day
told him that he was to play one of his own compo-
sitions at the next concert in the apartments of the
Duchess, His performance so pleased the Duke
that the nobleman promised him instruction under
competent masters and appointed him chamber
musician, Aug. 2, 1799. Spohr's salary was small,
but it made him independent, and enabled him to
take his younger brother, Ferdinand, to live with
him.

At first the young chamber musician heard a good
deal of French music, but an operatic company
from Magdeburg introduced him to Mozart's music,

376

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

and he says in his autobiography, " Mozart now be-
came for my lifetime my ideal and model." He
spent whole nights studying the scores of " Don Gio-
vanni " and " Die Zauberflote." Now, too, he
played chamber music and first learned Beethoven's
quartets. Finally the Duke asked him to select a
teacher among the great violinists of the day. He
at once named Viotti, but he had given up music
for the business of selling wine. Ferdinand Eck
was the next choice, but he declined to receive
pupils. Francis Eck, his younger brother, accepted
the Duke's offer and Spohr was sent with him to St.
Petersburg, where he had engagements to fill. They
left Brunswick on April 24, 1802. Owing to Eck's
engagements his instruction of Spohr was irregular,
but the boy gained much instruction from constantly
hearing him. The young violinist was very industri-
ous, often practising ten hours a day, composing
considerably, and painting for recreation. While on
this tour he wrote his first published violin concer-
tos. Opus I, A minor, and Opus 2, D minor, and the
" Duos Concertants " for two violins. Opus 3. In
St. Petersburg he met Clementi, Field and many
minor musicians, and played frequently in chamber-
music rehearsals. He also wrote in 1803 for Breit-
kopf and Hartel, the eminent Leipsic publishers, an
article on the state of music in Russia. He returned
to Brunswick in the summer of that year and heard
Rode for the first time. He gave a public concert
which pleased the Duke and resumed his duties as
a member of the orchestra.

In 1 804 he started for Paris with his fine Guame-
rius violin, given him by Remi, a Russian violinist.
Just outside of Gottingen it was stolen from the car-
riage. Spohr returned to Brunswick and with the
Duke's help got another violin. Then he made a
tour, playing in several German cities, including
Leipsic, Dresden and Berlin, in the last place having
the assistance of Meyerbeer, then a clever pianist
thirteen years old. In 1805 Spohr became leader
of the Duke of Gotha's band. He married Dorette
Schneidler, a harp-player, and wrote for her and
himself some compositions for harp and violin.
He wrote his first opera, " Die Prufung," which
reached a concert performance. With his wife in
1807 he visited Leipsic, Dresden, Munich, Prague,
Stuttgart, Heidelberg and Frankfort. His second
opera "Alruna" was written in 1808, but it was
never performed, though accepted at Weimar. In
this year Spohr went to Erfurt to see Napoleon's

congress of princes, but found that ordinary human
beings like himself could not enter the theatre which
they attended in the evenings. He persuaded the
second horn player in the orchestra to allow him to
take his place and practised on the horn all day.
In the evening, being forbidden to stare at the
august audience, he viewed the assembled potentates
in a small mirror which he had taken with him for
that purpose.

The year 1809 is important in Spohr's history for
two reasons. While making a tour he received at
Hamburg a commission for an opera, " The Lovers'
Duel," and at Frankenhausen in Thuringia he con-
ducted the first music festival in Germany. For
the second of those festivals in 181 1 he wrote his
first symphony in E fiat. The opera was also fin-
ished in the winter of 1810-1811. His first ora-
torio, " Das jlingste Gericht," was written for the
Fete Napoleon at Erfurt and produced there Aug.
15, 181 2. It was in the composition of this work
that he found himself hampered by his lack of
skill in counterpoint. He bought Marpurg's work
and studied it. But Spohr was dissatisfied with his
opera and with his oratorio. He felt that he was
too much under the dominance of Mozart, and
resolved to free himself from that master's influence.
He says in his autobiography that in "Faust" he
was careful to avoid imitating Mozart.

In 1 8 1 2 he made his d^but at Vienna as violinist
and composer with such success that the leadership
of the orchestra at the Theatre an der Wien was
offered to him. The conditions were veiy favorable,
so he gave up his position at Gotha and betook
himself to the Austrian capital. There his duties
were burdensome, but he was in the musical centre
of Europe. He met Beethoven, and was on terms
of friendship with that great master, whose genius,
however, he did not fully appreciate. Among his
treasures when he left Vienna was a canon for three
voices on some words from Schiller's "Maid of
Orleans" written for him by Beethoven. Spohr's
"Autobiography" contains some interesting anec-
dotes about Beethoven's conducting.

Spohr's Viennese sojourn was successful, but on
account of disagreements with the manager of the
theatre he left the city in 18 15, and made a visit to
Prince Carolath in Bohemia. His next musical
undertaking was the conduct of another festival at
Frankhausen. His cantata, " Das befreite Deutsch-
land," was there produced. He afterward went on

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Fac-simile of letter from Spohr deploring the death of his wife» in 1834.

378

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

2i. tour through Germany, Switzerland and Italy, and
his eighth violin concerto (" Scena Cantante ") was
written to please the public of the last-named
country. In Italy he met Rossini, whom he never
admired as a composer. He also met Paganini,
who treated him with much courtesy.

In 1 817 he returned to Germany. While travel-
ling and giving concerts with his wife, he received
an offer from Mr. Ihl^e, director of the theatre at
Frankfort, to become conductor of the opera there.
He accepted the offer and at once set out for his
new post. One of his first acts was to obtain the
consent of the managers to the production of his
opera " Faust" which he had written in Vienna five
years before. He says, " At first, it is true, it
pleased the great majority less than the connoisseurs,
but with each representation gained more admirers."
His success encouraged him to new dramatic
attempts, and he set to work on an operatic version
of AppePs "Der schwarze Jager" (The Black
Huntsman). He soon learned, however, that
Weber was at work on the same subject, and he
abandoned his opera. While looking for a new
libretto he wrote the three quartets. Opus 45. In
September, 181 8, he began work on his "Zemire
und Azor," of which the text had been previously
used by Gr^try in his " La Belle et la Bete." Dis-
agreements with the managers of the Frankfort
theatre caused him to resign hj post there in
September, 18 19.

In 1820 he visited England at the invitation of
the Philharmonic Society of London. His d^but
was made at the opening concert of the season,
March sixth, when he played with much success his
Concerto No. 8. At the next concert he was to
have appeared as leader. "It was at that time still
the custom there," he says in his autobiography,
"that when symphonies and overtures were per-
formed, the pianist had the score before him, not
exactly to conduct from it, but only to read after
and to play in with the orchestra at pleasure, which
when it was heard, had a very bad effect. The real
conductor was the first violin, who gave the tempi,
and now and then when the orchestra began to
falter, gave the beat with the bow of his violin."
Spohr induced Ries, the pianist, to let him make an
experiment, and he conducted, after overcoming
the opposition of the directors, with a baton, for the
first time at one of these concerts. The success of the
new method was so great that the old way went out

forever. His symphony in D minor was produced
at this concert, and at the last concert of the season
another of his symphonies was heard for the first
time in England. At his last concert, his wife, who
had been since her arrival in England busily en-
gaged in mastering the Erard double action harp
(she had before played the single action instru-
ment), appeared and was much applauded. Her
health subsequently failed, and she died in 1834.
Spohr married a second time in 1836. His second
wife was Marianne Pfeiffer, the elder of the two
daughters of the Chief Councillor of Cassel. She
was a good pianist and played together with Spohr
with considerable success. She died Jan. 4, 1892.
Spohr visited Paris for the first time on his way
home from England. In the French capital he
made the acquaintance of Kreutzer, Cherubini,
Habeneck and other eminent musicians, all of
whom received him with courteous consideration
and showed a warm interest in his music. He
gave a concert at the Opera with satisfying success.
Cherubini was particularly pleased with his work,
and Spohr tells with pride how the old martinet of
the Conservatoire made him play one of his quartets
three times. Spohr returned to Germany and took
up his residence in the artistic city of Dresden,
where he found Weber engaged in producing " Der
Freischtitz," already a pronounced success in Vienna
and Berlin. Weber was offered the post of Hof-
Kapellmeister by the Elector of Cassel, but he
declined it because he did not wish to leave
Dresden. He warmly recommended Spohr, who
received the appointment, accepted it, and on
Jan. I, 1822, entered upon his duties in the city
which was to be his home for the rest of his life.
The first new work studied there under his direction
was his own "Zemire und Azor," which was pro-
duced on March 24, and repeated several times in
the course of the year. His family arrived at
Cassel in March, and he settled down in the do-
mestic circle and began the composition of "Jes-
sonda," which he finished in December, 1822. In a
letter written in January, 1823, he says: "I have
been latterly so much engaged upon a new opera
that I have somewhat neglected everything else.
It is now ready, and I am right glad to have com-
pleted so important a work. If I expect more
from this opera than from the earlier ones, it is
because of my greater experience, and the inspira-
tion I felt in the study of almost every number of

e.X^s'-c'-^^Cg-

lilhograph portrait drawn by W. Pfaff.

38o

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the successfully written libretto." The opera was
produced on the birthday of the Elector, July 28,
1823, and was at once successful. Spohr writes
(Aug. 2, 1823) : "This work has made me very
happy, and I have reason to hope that the opera
will please much in other places."

At this time Spohr continued the composition of
chamber music and formed a quartet, consisting of
himself, Wiele, solo violinist of the court orchestra,
Ferdinand Spohr, viola, and Haseman, *cello.
About this time, too, he wrote the first of his four
double quartets, which were then a great novelty.
He visited Leipsic and Berlin to conduct first per-
formances of "Jessonda," which in both cities
achieved great success. In 1824, he enjoyed the
society of Mendelssohn during the winter in Berlin.
Returning to Cassel he wrote his opera " Der Berg-
geist," which was produced at the marriage of the
Elector's daughter on Mar. 23, 1825, and was well
received.

In the same year Rochlitz, editor of the Leipsic
Music yournaly offered him the text of the oratorio,
"The I^st Judgment," and he set to work on it at
once. The oratorio was produced in the Lutheran
church of Cassel, on Good Friday, Mar. 25, 1826,
and made a deep impression. In 1827, he pro-
duced another opera, " Pietro von Albano," which
in spite of Meyerbeer's enthusiastic praise, had little
success. In 1831, he finished his "Violin School,"
a book of instruction which is still held in esteem
though not regarded as the best. In 1832, polit-
ical disturbances, in which Spohr played the radical
and offended the Elector, interrupted the opera per-
formances at Cassel for a long time, and the artist
devoted his time to oratorio and instrumental com-
position. In 1832 he wrote his most noted sym-
phony, "The Consecration of Tones," and in 1834
he was at work on his " Calvary," which was pro-
duced at Cassel on Good Friday, 1835. He went
to England a second time in 1839, to conduct
"Calvary" at the Norwich Festival. The success
of the work was so great that he was commissioned
to write " The Fall of Babylon " (the book by Ed-
ward Taylor) for the Norwich Festival of 1842. In
1840 he conducted a festival at Aix-la-Chapelle,
and in 1842 he produced Wagner's "Der Fliegende
Hollander " at Cassel.

He had heard much in its praise from Dresden,
and having read the work was at once pleased with
it. In writing to a friend he said : " It interests me.

nevertheless, in the highest degree, for it is written
apparently with true inspiration — and unlike so
much of the modern opera music, does not display
in every bar the striving after effect, or effort to
please. There is a great deal of the fanciful there-
in ; a noble conception throughout ; it is well-writ-
ten for the singer; enormously difficult, it is true,
and somewhat overcharged in the instrumentation,
but full of new effects, and will assuredly, when it
once comes to be performed in the greater space of
the theatre, be thoroughly clear and intelligible.
... I think I am so far correct in my judgment,
when I consider Wagner as the most gifted of all
our dramatic composers of the present time."
This opinion of Spohr' s is creditable to his judg-
ment as a musician and his generosity as a man.
He worked hard and gave a performance which
pleased the public. He wrote to Wagner of the
success of his work and received from the young
composer one of his characteristic letters of grati-
tude.

The Elector of Hesse-Cassel, unmoved even by a
monster petition headed with the name of Lord
Aberdeen, declined to permit Spohr to go to Eng-
land and conduct the "Fall of Babylon" at the
Norwich Festival. The oratorio was produced
without his assistance and was highly successful.
He went to England, however, at the beginning of
his summer vacation and gave some profitable con-
certs. In 1 844 he brought forward his last opera,
" Die Kreuzfahrer " (" The Crusaders "). For this
he had arranged his own libretto from a play by
Kotzebue. The success of the opera, performed at
Cassel and Berlin, was brief. He made a trip to
Paris, where the Conservatoire orchestra honored
him with a special performance of his " Consecra-
tion of Tones." He conducted the " Missa Solem-
nis " and the Ninth Symphony at the Beethoven
Festival at Bonn, in the same year. In 1847 he
again visited London, when his " Fall of Babylon,"
" Last Judgment," " Lord's Prayer," and Milton's
eighty-fourth psalm were presented in three con-
certs by the Sacred Harmonic Society. In the
same year the twenty-fifth anniversary of his as-
sumption of the directorship at Cassel was cele-
brated by a performance of excerpts from his operas.

The revolutionary events of 1848 interrupted
Spohr's flow of compositions. He felt, as he wrote
to his friend Hauptmann, that " the excitement of
politics and the constant reading of newspapers in-

LUDWIG SPOHR

381

capacitated him from giving his attention to any
serious and quiet study." In 1849, while recover-
ing from an illness caused by a fall on the ice, he
planned his ninth symphony, " The Seasons," which
he wrote shortly after his recovery. He went to
Breslau in the hope of hearing Schumann's " Geno-
veva," but owing to delays heard only some re-
hearsals. During his two weeks' stay in Breslau,
honors were heaped upon him. Banquets were
given, concerts of his music were arranged, and his
opera "Zemire und Azor" was performed at the
theatre. In 1850 he was made to suffer from
court malice. The Elector, probably to chastise
him for his radical political ideas, refused him per-
mission to take a summer vacation. He went away
without leave, and the result was a lawsuit with the
managers of the theatre, which after four years he
lost by a technicality.

In 1852, at the invitation of the Covent Garden
management, he again visited England to produce
his " Faust," which was successfully given on July
15 with Castellan, Ronconi, Formes and TamberHk
in the principal parts. In 1853 Spohr showed once
more his respect and consideration for the rising
genius of Wagner by devoting his energies to a
careful production of " Tannhauser." The letters
of Spohr show that while he heartily sympathized
with Wagner's irresistible sincerity of purpose and
the honesty of his dramatic art, he, like many
others, found the new master's manner of writing
hard to comprehend. He exclaims in one letter to
Hauptmann : " What faces would Haydn and Mozart
make, were they obliged to hear the stunning noise
that is now given to us for music." Nevertheless
Spohr saw the germs of a noble dramatic style in
these works of Wagner, and after his successful and
artistically admirable production of " Tannhauser,"
he turned his attention to " Lohengrin." Owing,
however, to the opposition of the Elector and the
court, the work was not produced, and, indeed,
Spohr never heard it. In the same year (1853) he
made his sixth visit to London, conducting three
concerts of the New Philharmonic Society, at which,
among other things, his own double symphony and
Beethoven's ninth were performed. His opera
" Jessonda " was put in rehearsal at Covent Garden
by Mr. Gye, but Spohr had to return to Cassel be-
fore it was produced.

On his return journey he planned his septet for
piano, two stringed and four wind instruments, one

of his most admired chamber compositions. In
1854 he passed his summer vacation in Switzerland
and visited Munich. In 1855 he visited Hanover,
where he heard his seventh violin concerto played, as
he writes, ** in a very masterly manner, by Joachim."
On his departure from Hanover the Royal Hano-
verian Chapel presented him with a very handsome
conductor's baton. In 1856 Spohr became conscious
that his productive powers were failing. He wrote
two quartets and a symphony, all three of which he
condemned, after repeated alterations, to remain in
manuscript and silence. In 1857 he made a trip
through Holland and returned to Cassel much re-
freshed. On Nov. 14, much against his inclination,
the elector retired him from active duty on a pension
of fifteen hundred thalers per annum. He soon be-
came reconciled to his retirement, but two days afler
Christmas he met with a more serious misfortune in
a fall which broke his left arm and rendered him
incapable of further violin playing. This was a
source of deep grief to him and no doubt prepared
his spirit for the final resignation of all earthly joys.
How he clung to his artistic endeavors may be seen
in a letter to Hauptmann (April 6, 1858) in which
he says : " I am now perfectly convinced that I
cannot accomplish any great work more. I regret
to say that my last attempt of the kind failed, and
my requiem remains a fragment; nevertheless, as
the subject, as far as the Lachrimosa dies ilia, at
which I stuck fast, pleases me well, and seems to
have much that is new and ingenious in it, I shall
not destroy it, as I should like to take it up again,
and shall make another attempt to complete it."
He devoted half a day to this attempt, but the
effort only brought him to a final determination to
abandon composition for good and all.

In the beginning of July he went to Prague,
when the 50th anniversary of the Conservatory was
celebrated by three musical performances, one be-
ing of "Jessonda." On the way home he visited
Alexandersbad, returning much refreshed. Yet
thenceforward his spirits declined ; he complained to
his wife that he was weary of life because he could
no longer do anything. In September, however, he
summoned enough interest to go to the Middle-
Rhine Festival at Wiesbaden and in October to
Leipsic. In December, 1858, he occupied himself
once more as a teacher, giving lessons gratis to a
poor girl who wished to become a teacher. On
April 12, 1859, he made his last appearance as a

3^2

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

conductor, directing his own "Consecration of
Tones" symphony at a charitable concert by the
Meiningen court orchestra. In the course of the
summer he made a few short journeys, but could
not conceal from himself their evil effects. On
Sunday, Oct. 16, a change in his condition became
manifest. On retiring that night he expressed to

his wife a hope that he should "at length have
a good night's rest.'* In the morning he awoke
calm and refreshed in spirit, but his physician at
once saw that the end was at hand. He lingered,
surrounded by those he loved, till Oct. 22, when at
10.30 in the evening he peacefully passed away. In
1883 a statue was erected to his memory.

Spohr's principal works are as follows : oratorios
and cantatas — "Das jiingste Gericht*' ("The Last
Judgment," first version, 181 2), "Die Letzten
Dinge " " The Last Judgment," second version,
1826), " Des Heilands letzte Stunden " (" Calvary,"
1835), "Der Fall Babylons" ("The Fall of Baby-
lon," 1 841), and "Das befreite Deutschland "
("Free Germany"), MS.; operas — "Die Priif-
ung" ("The Trial," 1806), "Alruna" (1808),
"Die Eulenkonigin " ("The Owl Queen," 1808),
"Die Zweikampf mit der Geliebten " ("The Lovers'
Duel," 181 1), " Faust'' (1818), "Zemire und
Azor" (1819), "Jessonda" (1823), "Der Berg-
geist " ("The Mountain Spirit," 1825), " Pietro von
Albano" (1827), "Der Alchymist " ("The Alche-
mist," 1830), and "Die Kreuzfahrer" ("The Cru-
saders," 1845) ; church music — mass for ^\t solo
voices and two five-part choruses, opus 54 : three
psalms for double chorus and soli, opus 85 ; hymn,
"Gott du bist gross " ("God thou art great "), for
chorus, soli and orchestra; symphonies — No. i, E
flat, opus 20 ; No. 2, D minor, opus 49 ; No. 3, C
minor, opus 78 ; No. 4, " Consecration of Tones," F,
opus 86 ; No. 5, C minor, opus 102 ; No. 6, "Histor-
ical symphony," G, opus 116; No. 7, "The Earthly
and Heavenly in Men's Lives," for two orchestras, C,
opus 121 ; No. 8, G minor, opus 137 ; No. 9, "The
Seasons," B minor, opus 143; eight overtures, 17
violin concertos and concertinas, 15 violin duets,
33 string quartets, 8 quintets, four double quartets, 5
pianoforte trios, 2 sextets, an octet and a nonet,
and many songs. Schletterer's catalogue of his
works (published by Breitkopf and Hiirtel) carries
the opus numbers up to 154, many of the opera em-
bracing six compositions, and there are a dozen
compositions without opus numbers, among which
are some of his operas and oratorios. In all he left
over two hundred works, in all fields of composition.

It is difficult for us at this day to fairly estimate
the importance of Spohr as a figure in musical his-
tory. Dates show us that his finest works chanced
to see the light about the same time as the over-
shadowing masterpieces of Weber and Mendelssohn.
Thus "Faust" produced in 18 18, was eclipsed by
"Der Freischlitz,'* in 1821, and his "Calvary"
(1835) by "St. Paul" (1836). His " Ust Judg-
ment " alone had a free field for a time. But though
we with over half a century's perspective find the
masterworks of Weber and Mendelssohn still in the
foreground, while Spohr recedes into the middle
distance, the contemporaries of these composers
saw them standing apparently shoulder to shoulder
at the front of the picture. Spohr's influence upon
those who lived when he did was very considerable,
and, more than that, there are certain features of
his style, which, it cannot be doubted, presented
themselves as attractive models to his immediate
followers along the path of musical progress.

Believing himself to be a disciple of Mozart, and
striving to preserve in his writings the suave beauty
and sculpturesque repose of the Mozart style, Spohr
was at heart a romanticist, was in the vanguard of
the new romantic movement in Germany, and es-
tablished in his compositions some of those peculi-
arities which have come to be regarded as special
characteristics of romantic utterance. While, there-
fore, he created no school and, except in violin
playing, has had no large following, he exercised
over his younger contemporaries a discernible influ-
ence, which cannot be disregarded. That no one
in our time looks to the works of Spohr for models,
does not obliterate the fact that he was an influen-
tial factor in the development of that romantic
school which has given us all that is greatest in
music since the death of Beethoven. One critic
has well said of him : " Spohr's noble sentimentality

V

i .

384

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

and warmth of expression excited during his life-
time all the youth of Germany into an unusual en-
thusiasm. The composer's influence is now some-
what less than it was, and indeed latterly his pro-
ductions have been underrated, but as all that is
genuine resists momentary bias, Spohr's works are
once again coming to the fore. In history, Spohr
stands as a most important link between the old and
new romantic schools of German tonal art. As a
tone- poet he possesses an individuality so strongly
marked, and so important an idiosyncrasy, that he
cannot Hke Marschner, Kreutzer, Reissiger, and
others, be identified with the school of Weber, but
stands almost independent between the last-named
master and men like Mendelssohn and Schumann."

The special feature of his style, which the critic
just quoted calls an "important idiosyncrasy," was
his mastery of chromatic modulations. The use of
chromatic harmonies is characteristic of the roman-
tic school, its further development being seen in
the "Tristan und Isolde" of Wagner. It maybe
well to add, for the further enlightenment of the lay
reader, that chromatic modulation is the secret of
that flexibility of style and largeness of tonal atmos-
phere which are found in Wagner's works ; and for
the first determined movement in this direction we
must thank Spohr. Nevertheless, Spohr's use of
chromatic modulations was wholly unlike that of
later composers. As Emil Naumann says, "If Sa-
lieri is justified in saying of certain composers, who
use venturesome skips in their modulations, that
they are like a man who jumps through the window
when the door is open, we may well say of Spohr
that he passes the open door at least six times be-
fore he decides upon entering." This circumlocu-
tion is unquestionably the result of Spohr' s endeavor
to place upon his natural impulses the curb of the
Mozartean polish. The out-come of his self-re-
straint is the reduction of his operas to a dead level
of sweetness that becomes wearisome.

It was this never-ceasing mellifluous quaHty that
forced itself upon the attention of Chorley and made
even that eminent lover of Bellini cry for something
else besides candy. Says Chorley : " The most grace-
ful Italian garden, where ' grove nods to grove —
each alley has its brother,' is not arranged with a
more perpetual reference to reflexion, parallel, reply,
repetition, than the largest or the least piece of
handiwork put forth by this arithmetically orderly
composer. Further, Dr. Spohr's vocal ideas and

phrases have, for the most part, a certain suavity and
flow, belonging to the good school of graceful can-
tabile, eminently commendable, when not indisputa-
bly charming. But it is difficult, nay, I may say at
once, impossible, to cite any motive from his pen,
which, by its artless vivacity, seizes and retains the
ear ; and there are few of his melodies that do not
recall better tunes by better men." This sweet
level of cantilena undoubtedly also impressed itself
on Schumann, who was expressing his admiration of
Spohr when he said : " As he looks at everything as
though through tears, his figures hm into each other
like formless, etherial shapes, for which we can
scarcely find a name."

In fine Spohr's works reveal to us a man who was
deficient in personal force because he was not a
creative genius, but who exerted all the influence of
an original mind upon his contemporaries because
he was wholly at heart and almost wholly in practice
in touch with a movement new and absorbing. If
Spohr had possessed real creative genius, his devo-
tion to Mozart as a model lyould have dwindled
before the incitements of the movement toward
national romanticism which was agitating German
literature and art. His yearning toward the free-
dom and infinite possibilities of chromatic harmonies
brought him into direct conflict with the polished
symmetry, the veneration for a set form and a con-
ventional distribution of keys, of the classic period
of Mozart. Had he been a man of aggressive in-
dividuality he would not have made the mistake of
putting an intellectual curb on his emotional im-
pulses, but would have spoken according to the
promptings of his heart.

But Spohr, though earnest in his purposes and
intolerant of all that was not sincere in art, was
altogether of too amiable a nature to rudely cross
the Rubicon and seize upon the new territory. He
was among those who saw the promised land, who
felt the embrace of its atmosphere, and who yet
hesitated upon the borders. The trumpet call of
modem romanticism was sounded in 182 1 when
Vogl made Schubert's "Erl King" known to
Germany, and in the same year Weber thrilled the
hearts of his countrymen by giving them a national
opera, "Der Freischutz," whose story, like that of
Schubert's song, was taken from the folk-lore of
the people. Spohr followed these leaders in making
use of the national literatures as in " Faust," and the
tales of the fireside, as in " Zemire und Azor " ; but

LUDWIG SPOHR

38s

he emasculated his music in his endeavor to cling
to the style of a period which had terminated.
What might have been a style leading directly into
the restless eloquence of the Wagnerian diction
became a "lingering sweetness, long drawn out/'
and it was reserved for Weber, who had the nec-
essary force, the resistless energy of creative power,
to become the founder of true German opera and
the artistic progenitor of Richard Wagner.

Wagner showed a warm appreciation of Spohr.
He expressed his admiration for the composer in a
letter to a Dresden friend written from Paris, in
i860, when he was preparing to produce "Tann-
hauser ** in the French capital. He wrote thus :
" Almost simultaneously I lost by death two vener-
able men most worthy cf respect. The death of
one came home to the whole musical world, which
deplores the loss of Ludwig Spohr. I leave it to
that world to estimate what wealth of power, how
noble a productiveness dei)arted with the master's
death. To me it is a painful reminder that with
him departed the last of that company of noble,
earnest musicians whose youth was directly illumin-
ated by the glowing sun of Mozart and who like
vestals fed the flame received from him with touch-
ing fidelity and protected it against all storms and
winds on their chaste hearths. This lovely office
preser\'ed the man pure and noble ; and if I were to
undertake to express in a single phrase what Spohr
proclaimed to me with such ineradicable imi)res-
siveness, I would say : He was an earnest, upright
master of his art. The ' handle ' of his life was
faith in his art; and his greatest refreshment flowed
from the potency of this belief. And this earnest
faith emancipated him from all personal pettiness.
All that was entirely foreign to him he severely let
alone without attacking it or persecuting it. This
was the coldness and brusqueness with which he
was so often charged. That which was comprehen-
sible to him (and the composer of 'Jessonda' may
be credited with a deep, fine feeling for everything
beautiful), that he loved and cherished, without
circumlocution and with zeal, so soon as he recog-
nized one thing in it — seriousness, a serious inten-
tion toward art. Herein lay the bond which at-
tached him in his old age to the new endeavors in
art. He could remain a stranger to it, but not an
enemy. Honor to our Spohr ; venerate his mem-
ory ! Let us imitate his example."

Another feature of Spohr's music which calls for

mention is his predilection for a programme. He
was a believer in the ability of the composer to con-
vey his emotions through the medium of absolute
music to the hearer. His " Consecration of Tones "
symphony, for instance, is an attempt to depict in
music the part which music plays in life and nature —
an attempt not wholly successful. But these labors
give Spohr a place among the founders of modern ro-
mantic writing for orchestra, and as such he must be
respected. His chamber music is distinguished by the
general characteristics of his style, and by a beautiful
clearness of construction.

As a composer of violin music and as a performer
on the instrument Spohr exercised influence which
is still felt. His pupils were Hubert Ries, St. Lubin,
David, Bott, Blagrove, Kompel and C. I.. Bargheer,
all players of note. David was the teacher of
Wilhelmj, whose Doric style preserved all forcible
simplicity and repose of the Spohr manner. Spohr's
playing was based on the solid principles of the
Mannheim school, modified somewhat by the style
of Rode, for whom Spohr had t^ great and well-
grounded admiration. But, as we should expect,
Spohr in his maturity arrived at the possession of
a style which was wholly the product of his own
individuality. The fundamental and vital char-
acteristic of his playing was his treatment of the
violin as a singing voice. He played with immense
breadth and purity of tone, with subtle delicacy of
touch, and with exquisite refinement of phrasing.
He had no taste for the free style of bowing culti-
vated by Paganini and was opposed to anything
approaching the saiiaio. He had a large hand and
was thus enabled to execute difficult passages of
double stopping with accuracy.

Violin technics have been developed so much
since Spohr's time that his compositions do not
present alarming difficulties to contemporaneous
performers. Nevertheless, they were sufficiently
difficult at the time of their production, and they
remain among the acceptable works for violin. His
concertos — at any rate, the best of them — are
heard occasionally in concert rooms to-day, not
without pleasure, though they are open to those
objections which have been made against his oper-
atic and orchestral music. His earlier concertos
show the immediate influem e of Viotti and Rode,
but his later works were the most valuable contri-
bution that had been made to the literature of the
violin, except the Beethoven concerto, up to the

25

386 FAAfOUS COMPOSF.RS

time when Spohr teased to compose them. Indeed positions that the great qualities of the classical

Spohr must be credited with fully as earnest an en- Italian and the Paris schools have been preserved to

deavor to raise the violin concerto from the level of the present day, and have prevented the degenera-

a mere show piece to that of a serious and artistic tion of violin-playing. ... He set a great example

composition as either Beethoven or Mendelssohn, of purity of style and legitimate treatment of the

Paul David has rightly said : " It was mainly owing instrument — an example which has lost none of its

to the sterling musical worth of Spohr's violin com- force in the lapse of more than half a century."

yyr^/A^^O-t^i^

CARL MARIA VON WEBER

CARL MARIA voN WEBER

HE plenitude of genius in the clas-
sical period of (lerinan nmsic has
a striking illustration in the rapid
succession in the kingship which
followed the wresting of the musi-
cal sceptre from Italy, beginning with Bach, there
has been no break in the line of succession. Had
such a thought occurred to the father of modern
music, he might have established a sentimental
foundation, a handgrasp, a kiss, or an apostolic lay-
ing on of hands, which might have been transmitted
down to our day without once leaving the direct and
royal line. In the musical succession there is anover-
lapping, a concurrence ot reigns, nearly all the time.
The most significant phrase of this phenome-
non is exemplified in the subject of this study.
Cluck and Mozart might have come like the
good fairies of the nursery tale to kiss him in
his cradle. Haydn and Beethoven might have
waited till their salutations would inspire his youth.
He himself might have blessed the infancy of
Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann and Wagner.
This it is which helped to give Carl Maria von
\^'eber a position in musical history which now we
recognize to be commanding in a sense never real-
ized so fully before. His activities range over the
territory through which is drawn the indeterminate
line of demarcation between the Classic and Ro-
mantic schools. He embodies the spirit of both
tendencies, though not in an equal degree. Not
only does he touch hands with the kings of the
eighteenth century and their successors of the nine-
teenth, but some of liis life threads in the fabric of
history were interwoven with theirs, ^Ve shall see
how in the story of his life.

The influence of heredity has a twofold illustra-
tion in this story. The musical talent of Weber and,
indeed, the general bent of his artistic predilections
were an inheritance. An ardent devotion to music
and the drama can be traced back a century in the

family from which he sprung. The family belonged
to the minor nobility of Austria. Of the tastes and
inclinations of the first Freiherr von Weber, who was
endowed with the title in 1622, nothing is known.
But a brother, who had taken up a residence in
Suabia, probably after the loss of the family estates
in the Thirty Years' ^\'ar, was musical. He was the
ancestor of Fridolin Weber, who, in turn, was the
father of several daughters who would have merited
a p.iragraph in the annals of music had they not won
a page through the circumstance that Mozart fell in
love with one, Aloysia, and married another, Con-
stance. Franz Anton von Weber, a brother of this
Fridolin, was the father of Carl Maria, who through
Constance became cousin by marriage to Mozart.
The brothers, though many other things besides,
during the latter portion of their existence were, for
the purpose of gaining a livelihood, musicians.
Fridolin, who had dropped the "von" from his
name when Mozart met him in Mannheim, was
reduced lo the position of a sort of general utility
man in the Court Theatre ; Franz Anton, who clung
to the sign of nobility and conveyed other titles to
himself to which he had less right, enjoyed the dis-
tinction of being one of the best viola players of his
time and was also an admirable performer upon the
double-bass. He even ventured upon the sea of
composition with some songs with pianoforte accom-
paniment, which frail craft bore him up for a
considerable time.

Here was one manifestation of the law of hered-
ity ; contemplation of the other is less agreeable.
From Franz Anton von Weber his son inherited an
instabihty of character which for a time threatened
to make shipwreck of his divine gifts. The whole
of Franz Anton's life was the career of an adventurer.
In his youth he was a tided rake in Mannheim. He
became a soldier and was slightly wounded fighting
against Frederick the Great at Rosbach. The
Elector of Cologne, Clement Augustus, gave him an

390

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

appointment and on the death of his father-in-law
advanced him to the posts which the latter had held
— Steward and Court Councillor. From these
posts he was dismissed with a small pension by
Clement Augustus's successor in the Electorate. It
is said that his devotion to music was partly the
cause of his dismissal. He was fonder of his fiddle
than of his duties, and often went walking in the
fields, playing on his viol, his eight children trooping
behind him as if he were another Pied Piper.
He married into a councillorship and fiddled him-
self out of it. The Prince- Bishop who appointed
him was the gay prelate who " danced himself out
of this world into another " and who gave employ-
ment to Beethoven's grandfather and father in his
court band ; the Prince-Bishop who dismissed him
was the serious-minded and thrifty Maximilian
Frederick, who became the master of Beethoven
himself. Those who are fond of delving for remote
causes may associate the birth of Weber with this
action of Beethoven's patron. Franz Anton, having
lost his position and squandered his wife's fortune,
started out on a dramatic and musical itinerancv.
His wife did not survive her humiliation. He wan-
dered through Germany after three years of service
as Chapelmaster to the Bishop of Ltibeck and
Eutin, and in 1 784 found his way to Vienna, where
he placed two of his sons under the tuition of
Haydn, and a year later married the sixteen-year-
old Genoveva von Brenner, a daughter in the family
that had given a home to his sons. This delicate
flower the adventurer of fifty plucked out of its gen-
ial surroundings in the Austrian capital and trans-
planted to Eutin, whither he now returned to accept
the post of town musician, another having meanwhile
won the once despised but now coveted chapel-
mastership. Small wonder that when Carl Maria
Friedrich Ernest, the first child of this mistaken
marriage was born he should have brought with him
into the world a frail and puny body afflicted with a
disease of the hip which was the cause of the com-
poser's lifelong lameness.

Concerning the date of Carl Maria's birth there is
still controversy. The church records in Eutin give
it as November 18, 1786. The date commonly
accepted is December 18, 1786. When the boy's
first composition was published the father did not
hesitate to falsify his age by a year in order to
irritate the attention of the cognoscenti. The im-
pulse which prompted what must have seemed a

trifling peccadillo to the unscrupulous Franz Anton
sprang from an ambition which had long consumed
his heart and had been intensified by the marvelous
career of his nephew by marriage, Mozart : He
wished to figure in the world as father of a prodigy.
He had been disappointed in the children of his
first marriage who, with finer facilities than Carl
Maria ever enjoyed, had turned out to be simply
good working musicians. The forcing process
which he applied in the case of his youngest son
was in no respect beneficial. The boy, too, was
ambitious to be a Mozart, but in later life, speaking
of his second opera, composed at the age of thirteen,
he mentioned the circumstance that he had written
the second act in ten days, and added : " This was
one of the many unfortunate consequences of the
numerous tales of the great masters which made
so great an impression on my juvenile mind, and
which I tried to imitate." The demand which the
father made upon the precocious mind of his son
was in reality greater than that made upon the boy
Mozart's. Leopold Mozart was an ideal instructor
and a man of fine moral fibre. In his exploitation
of Wolfgang he never sacrificed the things which
make for good in art. He may have been inju-
dicious in fanning the spark of genius so industriously
that it burst into the too-fierce flame which con-
sumed his son's life prematurely, but the technical
training which Wolfgang enjoyed was sound and
thorough. This boon was never accorded to the
boy Weber. While his father continued the roving
life which began a new a year after Carl Maria's birth,
he and his son Frederick cared for the lad's edu-
cation. There was no more stability in the life of
the family than in that of a gypsy band. Within
a dozen years the father figured in one theatrical
capacity or another in Vienna, Cassel, Meiningen,
Nuremberg, AugAurg, Weimar, Erlangen, Hilburg-
hausen and Salzburg. Only in the last two towns
does it appear that he procured proper instruction
for the child. Evidently with all his desire to play
the role of a second Leopold Mozart he mistrusted
his son's gifts, for he once contemplated making
a painter out of him, and even after he had exhib-
ited noteworthy fruits of the few months of study
pursued under Michael Haydn in Salzburg, and
Kalcher in Munich, he seemed willing to sacrifice
his son's musical talents to the prospect of making
money with Senefelder's new invention of lithog-
raphy, in which both father and son took a keen in-

CARL MARIA VO.V WEBER

391

terest. The influence of sttch an irresolute life
upon the lad's moral character must also have been
pernicious. He grew tip behind the scenes of a
theatre. One can easily imagine the value of the
familiarity with the mimic world thus obtained after
he had become a dramatic composer, but it fastened
a clog upon his talent which he was never quite
able to fling off. When a good teacher, who valued
his gifts and devoted himself assiduously to their
development, was found in Hilburghausen, study
had already become irksome to the lad.

Michael Haydn had been his master for only
sis months when, his mother having died of con-

sumption in March, 1798, he accompanied his
father to Vienna and remained there till July. Next
came a removal to Munich, and study under
Kalcher for composition and Wallishauser (of
Valesi, as he called himself) for singing. Even
with imperfect cherishing, however, the boy's cre-
ative faculty asserted itself. The first of his music
which was published consisted of six fughettos
written under the eyes of Michael Haydn. Guided
by Kalcher he composed an opera, " Die Macht
der Liebe und des Weins," a mass and several vocal
and instrumental pieces in tlie smaller forms. All
of this music is lost except a set of variations which

WEBER'S BIRTHPLACE \t

he dedicated to his teacher and printed himself by
the new lithographic method.

We have written with somewhat disproportionate
fullness of the beginning of Weber's career because
of the light which the recital throws upon his moral
as well as his musical development. Fate had it in
store that a lovely character and a genius of high
order should emerge from the unsightly and mnch-
abused chrysalis; but before then another decade
had to be spent under such circumstances as ordi-
narily wreck men's souls. In this period the in-
terruptions of the peripatetics which had been the
curse of his childhood, were few and comparatively
brief, Freiberg, in Saxony, Chemnitz, Salzburg, and
Augsburg, were in turn the lad's stopping-places,
and a tour was made through Northern Germany.

Then came two years of study in Vienna with AbM
Vogler, rewarded by an appointment which the
Abb6 procured for the youth of seventeen and a
half as Capellmeister in Breslau. For two years he
performed the duties of this office, and then dis-
aifections and quarrels between him and the citizens
who maintained the company led to his resignation.
The influence of a pupil got him the title of Musilc-
Intendantto Duke Eugene of Wirtemberg, which he
intended to use for advertising purposes on a con-
cert tour; but war interfered with the plan and he
went to Schloss Carlsruhe to participate in the
music-making at the Puke's court. The conquest
of Prussia by Napoleon in 1807 led the Duke to
dismiss his band, but he obtained for Weber the post
of Private Secretary to a brother, Duke Ludwig, at

392

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Stuttgart. The associations into which this new life
threw him were more demoralizing a thousand times
than any of his past experiences. The profligacy
and immorality of the official and theatrical life
of the Suabian capital were notorious throughout
Europe. The charm of Weber's mind and manners
drew about him many good influences, particularly
the friendship of Capellmeister Danzi, but the moral
stamina to withstand the temptations which beset
him on all hands had not been developed, and he
abandoned himself to a course of Ufe which threat-
ened his moral as well as artistic ruin. His boon
companions were one of the sirens of the theatre and
the members of a coterie known as " Faust's De-
scent into Hell." From the dangers which beset
him he was most rudely rescued. He had incurred
the anger of the King while delivering one of the
many unpleasant messages of Duke Ludwig, who
was the King's brother, and avenged himself for
the contumely poured on him by directing an old
woman, who had inquired for the Royal laundress,
into the King's cabinet. It required the inter-
vention of the Duke to save him from imprisonment,
but the King's anger was not appeased, and he soon
found occasion to punish Weber for the insult.
The misrepresentations of a servant to a citizen
from whom Weber borrowed money led the former
to believe that the loan would purchase an appoint-
ment for his son in the Duke*s household and
consequent immunity from miUtary service. The
appointment not following, Weber was denounced
to the King, tried by a process quite as summary
as a drum- head court-martial, and banished from
Wirtemberg along with his father, in whose behalf
the loan had been made. It was the year 1810,
and it marks Weber's moral regeneration. He re-
solved thereafter to devote himself honestly and
seriously to the service of his art. His artistic
achievements during this decade were scarcely sig-
nificant enough to outweigh the unhappy incidents
of his life. At Freiberg he forgot his father's
Hthographic schemes long enough to set an opera
book written by Ritter von Steinsberg on the
familiar folk-tale of the Seven Ravens, entitled " Das
Stumme Waldmadchen," which was performed in
Freiberg, Chemnitz, Prague and even Vienna and
St. Petersburg, without making a decided success.
In the course of his second stay in Salzburg he com-
posed '* Peter SchmoU und seine Nachbarn," which
was brought out with indifferent results at Augsburg.

During his trip through Northern Germany he de-
veloped a thirst for theoretical knowledge and also
a bent toward literature which grew with time,
made him a student of the writings of Kant and
Schelling, in Stuttgart, and filled his head for a space
with thoughts of a critical journal. His choice of
Abb6 Vogler as a teacher has generally been de-
plored, but it seems to have been beneficial in this
respect, at least, that under the influence of that
man of brilliant if superficial talents, he ceased the
production of unripe works and took up the analysis
of master-pieces and the study of folk-music. The
circumstance that his writings for two years are
practically summed up in a pianoforte arrangement
of the Abba's opera " Samori " and two sets of
variations on themes from that opera and " Castor
and Pollux " might be variously interpreted. The
Abbt^ had the gift of attaching young men to himself
and was probably not averse to such tributes as his
affectionate pupils paid him in the revamping of his
ideas ; but if Weber's own testimony is to be
accepted he must have helped him greatly in the
direction where his greatest needs lay. In Breslau
he began the composition of " RUbezahl " (text by
J. G. Rhode, the managing director of the private
company that maintained the theatre), and com-
posed an " Overtura Chinesa," utilizing for the
purpose a Chinese melody entitled " Lieu-ye-kin."
This overture he remodeled a few years later and
prefixed it to Schiller's adaptation of the Italian
Gozzi's masque " Turandot " for which he also com-
posed six incidental pieces. How one who was so
happy a few years later in the application of local
color should have persuaded himself to use a Chinese
melody with its characteristic pentatonic scale in an
overture to a play based on a Persian subject does
not appear. Weber's stay with Duke Eugene was
not without profit, though his compositions were
chiefly instrumental and, barring two symphonies,
in the smaller forms. In Stuttgart where his musical
services to Duke Ludwig were confined to in-
structing his children, he undertook a resetting of
" Das Stumme Waldmadchen," the book of which
had been worked over by Franz Carl Hiemer, the
leading spirit of the dissolute coterie known as
" Faust's Hollenfahrt." Weber seems to have spent
two years on this work, or rather to have spread it
out over two years of time, a circumstance which,
when contrasted with the rapidity of his work on his
second opera as a lad of thirteen, tells its own tale

CARL MARIA VOX MEBRR

of the eflecl of the influences which surrounded him.
It was at a rehearsal of this opera, renamed " Syl-
vana," that the King chose to have him arrested to
gratify a petty vengeftilness. The work came into
new notice in connection with the German cele-
brations of Weber's centenary in i88fi by reason of
a second revision and revival after it had been for-
gotten for full half a century. This " revision,"
however, for which Ernst Pasqu^ and Ferdinand
I.anger are responsible, is almost if not quite as
original a piece of work as that done by Weber in
the remodeling of "Das Stumme Waldmadchen."
The three-act play is expanded into one of four acts ;
the dumb maiden is metamorphosed into a particu-
l.irly brilliant soprano legi^kro ; a ballet is introduced
consisting of the " Invitation to the Dance," which
was composed in 1817, and the Polonaise in E-flat
which dates back to the Stuttgart period ; several of
Weber's songs are interpolated (a hint of Widor's
having seemingly been acted on), and voca! num-
bers are constructed out of two sonata movements.
With the expulsion from Stuttgart Weber's wan-
derings began again, and for several years, the rest
of the time indeed which may be counted in the
period preparatory to his entrance upon his estate
as a genius conscious of a mission and equipped for
its performance, his life is like that of a minstrel
knight of old, save for the difference in social and
artistic environment. At the very outset of these
final peregrinations there is noticeable a sign of
his moral regeneration, preceding only by a little
most convincing evidences of a determination to
make good also the artistic shortcomings due to his
desultory early training and his later frivolities.
Toward the close of 1810 he wrote in his journal:
" I can say calmly and truthfully that I have grown
to be a better man within the last ten months. My
sad experiences have made me wiser, I am become
orderiy in my business affairs and steadily indus-
trious." The men whose friendship he cultivated
on his travels were worthy of the best he could
offer, and he made no more companionships that
were hindrances to his growth. In Mannheim,
whither he first went with letters from Danzi, it was
the theoretician Gottfried Weber who gave him en-
couragement, help and a friendship that kisted till
death. In Darmstadt began a lovely intercourse
with Meyerbeer, who was then studying with Vogler,
and whose parents received him like one of the
family when he went to Berlin. In Hamburg he

met v.. T. .A, Hoffman, that incarnation of the
Romantic spirit ; and in Munich he formed a social
and artistic connection with the clarinettist. Bar-

POHTRAIT OF WEBER, I

mann, which was a source of delight and profit to
them both. Duke Emil Leopold August, of Saxe
Gotha, with all his crazy eccentricities, was a kind
patron, at whose court he came into close relation-
ship with Spohr, whom he had first met at Stuttgart,
and on whom he had made an unfavorable impres-
sion. He went to Weimar, and learned to love
\\'ieland and would also doubtless have bent the
knee to Goethe, had that great man treated him
with a little more than scant courtesy. It would
seem, however, as if the great poet had imbibed,
consciously or unconsciously, some of the prejudice
against Weber which his musical oracle, Zelter,
cherished. Weber's resolve to give truer devotion
to his art bore fruit first in a heightened appreciation
of the value of criticism. Not only did he seek to
profit by the censiire bestowed on his own works
on the score of a want of plastic beauty and sound-
ness of form, btit he sought to give greater dignity
to criticism by cultivating it himself. In Darmstadt
he joined Meyerbeer and others in organizing a

394

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

secret society which had for a motto " the elevation
of musical criticism by musicians." He even re-
curred to his old project of founding a critical jour-
nal, and though he did not carry it out, he was thus
in a sense a forerunner of Schumann, as the " Har-
monischer Verein " (thus the critical coterie called
itself) was a prototype of the " DavidsbUndler."
His conviction that he was profiting by his more
serious studies and loftier determination is seen,
moreover, in his desire to better his earlier work.
He did not try to complete the opera " Riibezahl,"
but he remodelled its overture, which he thought his
finest achievement up to that time, and also the
overture to "Peter Schmoll." In his one-act
operetta "Abu Hassan," composed during a second
stay in Mannheim after his return from Frankfort,
where he had produced "Sylvana" successfully,
modern critics have found the buds of that dramatic
genius which came into full flower in " Der Frei-
schiitz." His fondness for literary composition
grew so strong in this period that, not content with
critical essays, he ventured upon a work of fiction.
It is impossible not to see in this circumstance
and also in the title chosen for the romance, " Ton-
kunstler*s Erdenwallen," a suggestion which Wagner
acted on when a generation later he wrote : " Ein
Ende in Paris," and "A Pilgrimage to Beetho-

ven.

I)

We have reached a point in Weber's career when
his aims, ambitions, methods and achievements pre-
sent so many parallels with those of his direct
successor in art that the temptation is strong to put
aside the story of the man in favor of an essay in
comparative criticism. Each succeeding event in
the next few years of his life helps to bring those
parallels into a light which is particularly vivid to us
who view them from the vantage ground of to-day.
When he goes to Prague in January, 1813, to
organize a German Opera, we see him enter the
portal of the temple which enshrined the goddess of
his later idolatry. When he emerges from that tem-
ple it is as the High Priest of a new cult, conse-
crated for the greater task which he accomplished
in Dresden, whither he went in 181 7. The con-
secration was two -fold ; it entered into his moral
life and purged it of the last husks of folly when
he married Caroline Brandt on November 4, 181 7 ;
it entered into his artistic life when he conceived
his mission to be to stimulate a national art-spirit in
his country worthy of the spirit of patriotism which

had enabled the German people to rid themselves
of a foreign oppressor. In Prague he formed his
last ignoble attachment. It was for the wife of a
dancer at the opera, whose purposes were all mer-
cenary, and whose husband was willing to trade in
his wife's honor. The liaison caused immeasurable
suffering to the gentle soul of Weber, and was the
last of his purging fires. The solace which he found
in the love of the singer who had sung in his
" Sylvana " at Frankfort and been engaged at
Prague at his instance, was perfect. Caroline
Brandt did not accept him lightly, and he had time,
while wooing her, to learn the value of her sweet
purity and recover from the wounds struck by a
degrading passion.

The spirit of Romanticism which had long before
been breathed into German literature and encouraged
patriotism by disclosing the treasures of German
legendary lore, became a vital force when patriotic
sentiments were transmuted into deeds of valor.
Theodor Korner was the incarnation of that political
ecstacy which had been nourished by the Tugend-
bund. In the youth of Germany, especially in the
students, his songs produced a sort of divine intox-
ication. Part of Weber's summer vacation in 18 14
was passed in Berlin. Prussia was leading in the
struggle to throw off the yoke of Napoleon, and
Weber drank daily of the soma-juice in Komer's
" Lyre and Sword." On his return trip to Prague he
visited his old friend the Duke Emil August at his
castle Grafen-Tonna. From this old feudal pile he
sent his settings of " Lutzow's wilde Jagd " and " Das
Schwertlied " to his love in Prague. The world has
never ceased to marvel at the fire of those settings ;
who shall describe their effect in Germany at the time
they were written? They were sparks hurled into
the powder-magazine of national feeling. All things
were conspiring to develop Weber's Germanism from
an emotion into a religion. The " Hurrah ! " of his
apostrophe to the sword found an echo at Waterloo.
He planned a cantata to celebrate the event. It was
not musical taste as much as patriotic ardor to which
the circumstances compelled him to appeal. " Kampf
und Sieg" is another " W^ellington's Victor\%" con-
taining the same vulgar realism (the noises of battle,
etc.), but disclosing also a higher artistic striving.
Beethoven used national melodies to characterize
the warring soldiery : the " Chanson de Malbrouk "
for the French, and " Rule Britannia " for the Eng-
lish. Weber utilized the revolutionary " Qa ira " for

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\Hlt.iyi,S>iiii'mm^ffn^a.i>ttcitf: (£ i' -nari

39^

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the French, " God save the King " for the English,
the Austrian and Prussian grenadier marches and the
refrain from his own " Liitzow.*' The latter circum-
stance may be looked upon as evidence of the pop-
ularity which the spirited song had won within a
year.

It was when Romanticism became militant that it
fired the heart of Weber and enlisted him as a sol-
dier. In Berlin Brentano offered him the subject of
" Tannhauser " for treatment. He had considered
the story of " Der Freischiitz *' as far back as 1810.
He was not ready for such work until he had fought
the fight for a German operatic institution in Prague
and in Dresden. In one respect the conditions
were more favorable in the Bohemian capital than in
the Saxon. In the former it was chiefly indifference
and ignorance with which he had to contend ; in the
latter the patriotic fires which might have been help-
ful were buried under the ashes of hatred of Prussia.
The splendid Teutonism of Weber was tolerated
with ill grace, and the intrigues of his associate Mor-
lacchi, at the head of the Italian opera, were per-
mitted to make fourfold more difficult the stupen-
dous task of building up a German opera in a city
that had always been dominated by Italian influences
in art. It was four years before Weber could take
the step which to us looks like an appeal from
the Saxon court to the German people. The case
was that of " Der FreischUtz " against the Italian
regime, and it was tried and won on June 18, 182 i,
in the new opera house in Berlin.

The Italian regime was maintained in Dresden
through the efforts of the conductor' of the Italian
Opera, Morlacchi, the concert-master PoUedro, the
church composer Schubert, and Count von Ein-
siedel, Cabinet Minister. The efforts of these men
placed innumerable obstacles in Weber's path and
their influence heaped humiliations upon him. Con-
fidence alone in the ultimate success of his efforts
to regenerate the lyric drama sustained him in his
trials. Against the merely sensuous charm of suave
melody and lovely singing he opposed tnith fulness
of feeling and conscientious endeavor for the attain-
ment of a perfect ensemble. Here his powers of
organization, trained by his experience in Prague,
his perfect knowledge of the stage imbibed with his
mother's milk, and his unquenchable zeal gave him
amazing puissance. Thoroughness was his watch-
word. He put aside the old custom of conducting
while seated at the pianoforte and appeared before

his players with a bdton. He was an inspiration,
not a figure-head. His mind and his emotions
dominated theirs and were published in the per-
formance. He raised the standard of the chorus,
stimulated the actors, inspected the stage-furnish-
ings and costumes and stamped harmony of feeling,
harmony of understanding, harmony of efforts upon
the first work undertaken — a performance of
M^hul's "Joseph in Egypt." Nor did he confine
his educational efforts to the people of the theatre.
He continued in Dresden the plan first put into
practice by him in Prague of printing articles about
new operas in the newspapers to stimulate public
appreciation of their characteristics and beauties.
For a while the work of organization checked his
creative energies, but when his duties touching new
music for court or church functions gave him the
opportunity he wrote with undiminished energy.
His masses in E-flat and G were thus called forth,
and his "Jubilee Cantata," the overture to which,
composed later, is now a universal possession.

The year which gave him his wife also gave him
the opera book with the composition of which it was
destined he should crown his career as a National
composer. Apel's " Gespensterbuch " had fallen
into his hands seven years before, and he had
marked the story of " Der Freischiitz " for treatment.
His mind reverted to it again in the spring of 181 7.
Friederich Kind agreed to write the book and placed
it complete in his hands on March ist, nine days
after he had undertaken the commission. Weber's
enthusiasm was great, but circumstances prevented
him from devoting much time to the composition of
the opera. He wrote the first of its music in July,
18 1 7, but did not complete it till May 13, 1820. It
was in his mind during all this period, however, and
would doubtless have been finished much earlier had
he received an order to write an opera from the
Saxon court. In this expectation he was disap-
pointed, and the honor of having encouraged the
production of the most national opera ever written
went to Berlin, where the patriotism which had been
warmed by Weber's settings of Korner's songs was
still ablaze and where Count Brlihl's plans were dis-
cussing to bring him to the Prussian capital as Capell-
meister. The opera was given under circumstances
that produced intense excitement in the minds of
Weber's friends. It was felt that the patriotic
interest which the name and presence of Korner's
collaborator aroused would not alone suflSce to

IS

li

398

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

achieve a real triumph for a work of art. The sym-
pathies of the musical areopagus of Beriin were not
with Weber or his work, — neither before nor after
the first performance ; but Weber spoke to the pop-
ular heart and its quick responsive throb lifted him
at once to the crest of the wave which soon deluged
all Ciermany. The overture had to be repeated to
still the applause that followed its first performance,
and when the curtam fell on the last scene a new
chapter in German art had been opened.

The difiiculties which surrounded the production
of " Der FreischUtz " and the doubt felt touching
its fate seemed to have almost unnerved Weber's
friends. He alone had remained undisturbed. For a
year his mind had been in a fever of creative activity.
The incidental music for the melodrama " Pre-
ciosa" had gone to Berlin with the score of " Der
FreischUtz," and before he left Dresden to produce
his opera he had begun to work on the music of
" Die drei Pintos," a comic opera for which
Theodor Hill had supplied the book. On the eve
of the great " FreischUtz " day he composed his
" Concertstuck,'* which until recent years was the
most universally popular of his pianoforte com-
positions and now is esteemed as only second to the
exquisitely graceful, eloquent and romantic " Invi-
tation," which he composed and dedicated to his
wife shortly after his marriage.

Weber had begun the hopeless fight against the
disease that robbed him of his mother at the age of
twenty-six years, before he came to Dresden. He
did not possess the physical constitution for a long
combat. He was small and narrow-chested. Much
of the superhuman energy which marked the last
five years of his life was due to the unnatural eager-
ness of his mind to put forth the whole of his artistic
evangel before bodily dissolution should silence the
proclamation.

There is no doubt that it was sheer will-power
that kept the vital fires burning in his tortured body
until the uttermost faggot of fuel which could nourish
them was burned to ashes. The picture which Sir
Julius Benedict draws of him as he appeared when
Sir Julius entered his house to become his pupil in
February, 182 1, is indescribably pathetic in its
simple eloquence ; " I found him sitting at his desk
and occupied with the pianoforte arrangement cf
his ' FreischUtz.' The dire disease which but too
soon was to carry him off had made its mark on his
noble features; the projecting cheek-bones, the

general emaciation, told their sad tale ; but in his
clear eyes, too often concealed by spectacles, in his
mighty forehead fringed by a few straggling locks,
in the sweet expression of his mouth, in the very
tone of his weak but melodious voice, there was a
magic power which attracted irresistibly all who
approached him." The last period of his life, the
period in which he went on uninterruptedly from
one great achievement to another, strengthening the
foundations of the new structure his genius had
reared, lifting it higher and extending it in all
directions, was for his physical body but a period of
torment. His rewards were many, but those which
brought the greatest benison of felicity and comfort
flowed from his domestic life, or came from without
the province of his official labors. Dresden shared
the glory which he had won in Berlin and elsewhere,
but his masters refused him the honors the rest of
the world was glad to give. His king denied him
the petty insignias of distinction which no man in
the kingdom had so richly earned, yet, though
opportunities offered (such as an invitation to be-
come musical director at Hesse Cassel) he refused
to change his field of labor, inspired by a desperate
determination to conquer the indifference of the
Saxon court. " Der FreischUtz " had set German v
on fire, but its composer waited a year before he
was privileged to produce it in Dresden. Nearly
three months before that occurrence he received
an invitation to compose an opera for the Karnth-
nerthor theatre, in Vienna, under the management
of Barbaja. He chose the blue-stocking, Helmina
von Chezy, as his collaborator, and began work on
" Euryanthe." it was another tremendous stride
in the path of progress; but the world did not
know it, for now Weber was the forward man lead-
ing the way into the hitherto unexplored fields of
dramatic music. He went to Vienna in September,
1823, to bring out his new work. Of all the inci-
dents of the memorable visit none is more significant
than his meeting with Beethoven. It was a tardy
meeting. As lad and youth he had been in Vienna
without manifesting the slightest desire to meet the
great master. In his self-elected capacity as critic
he had attacked the symphonies in E-flat and B-flat.
It is not improbable that it was the study of
" Fidelio," which he produced at Prague, and after-
ward at Dresden, that opened his mind to the sig-
nificant relationship which Beethoven bore to his
own efforts to reanimate a national art-spirit in

MONUMENT TO WEBER IN DRESDEM. — From
Ernst Rietschel, Sculptor

400

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

(iermany. At any rate when the composer of
" Euryanthe " went to Vienna it was as a musician
filled with veneration for the composer of " Fidelio/'
and the reception which he met with at the hands
of the great man touched him most profoundly.
" We dined together in the happiest mood," Weber
wrote to his wife; "the stern, rough man paid me
as much attention as if I were a lady he was court-
ing, and scn'cd me at table with the most delicate
care. How proud I felt to receive all this attention
and regard from the great master-spirit; the day
will remain forever impressed on my mind and
those of all who were present." Beethoven, it is
said, promised to attend the first performance of
" Euryanthe," which took place on October 25, but
did not. He would have heard nothing of the
music if he had, but there is a story that after the
representation, which was tremendously successful, he
wrote to Weber : " I am glad, I am glad ! For this
is the way the (ierman must get the upper hand of
the Italian sing-song." The success of the opera
was not lasting, however. It was marred by the
dramatic faults of its book, and after Weber's de-
parture its score was horribly disfigured by excisions
made by Conradin Kreutzer.

The vital forces were rapidly leaving Weber's
frail- body. For nearly a year and a half after the
completion of " Euryanthe " he composed nothing
except a French romance for voice and pianoforte.
Then he marshalled his intellectual and physical
forces for a last endeavor. Charles Kemble in
1824, stimulated by the success of " l)er Freischiitz"
in London, commissioned him to compose an opera
for Covent (iarden. The work was to be in English,
and after some correspondence on the subject
Weber agreed to compose an oi)era and produce it
in person for an honorarium of ^^i, 000. While the
negotiations were in progress he consulteil his phy-
sician, who told him the acceptance of the commis-
sion would bring about his death in a few months,
or even weeks, whereas a year's respite from all
work in Italy would prolong his life five or six years.
The sum offered was large and Weber's mind had
been haunted ])y the apprehension of leaving his
wife and children unprovided for. He decided to
sacrifice his life for the welfare of his family, and ac-
cepted the commission. The decision made, his
])hysical and intellectual lassitude gave way to an-
other fit of energy. The subject agreed on was
*• Oberon," and Planchc was to prepare the book.

As a preparation, the dying composer learned Eng-
lish. The first two acts of the book came into his
hands on January 18, the third on February i, 1825.
He began at once but suspended it in order to take
the waters at Ems during the summer. He resumed
work in the fall and completed the overture, which,
in the usual manner of composers, he composed last,
in London, on April 29, 1826. He had reached
the city a week before, having travelled to Calais in
his own carriage and made a stop in Paris, where he
was cheered by the kind attention of men like
Cherubini, Rossini, Onslow and others. No time
was wasted in beginning the preparations for the
production of " Oberon," nor, indeed, was there any
time to waste. He superintended sixteen rehearsals,
and conducted the first performance on April 12,
1826. It was his last triumph; "The composer
had an even more enthusiastic reception than Ros-
sini two or three years before," says Spitta. Weber
conducted twelve performances according to con-
tract, took part in a few concerts, gave one of his
own which was a failure financially because of the
indifference of the aristocracy, and then in feverish
anxiety to see his family again, began preparations
for his return journey. On the morning of June 5,
1826, his host, Sir Oeorge Smart, found him dead
in his bed : " his head resting on his hand as if in
sweet slumber ; no traces of his suffering could be
seen in these noble features. His spirit had fled —
home indeed ! " His body was buried in Moor-
fields Chapel on June 21, but eighteen years later,
largely through the instrumentality of Richard Wag-
ner, it was brought to Dresden and interred in the
family vault with impressive ceremonies. Wagner
pronounced the oration at his final resting-place,
and thus emphasized the trait in his character which
lay at the foundation of his greatest achievement in
art : " Never lived a musician more German than
thou I No matter where thy genius bore thee, in
what far-away unfathomable realm of fancy, always
did it remain fastened with a thousand sensitive
fibres to the heart of the German people, with which
it smiled and wept like an undoubting child listen-
ing to the fairy tales of its native land. This in-
genuousness it was which led thy manhood's mind
like a guardian angel and preserved it chaste ; and
in this chastity lay thy individuality : preserving this
glorious virtue unsullied thou wast lifted above the
need of artificial invention. It was enough for thee
to feel, for when thou hadst felt then hadst tliou al-

CARL MARIA VON WEBER

401

ready discovered the things which have been from
the beginning. And this lofty virtue didst thou
preserve even into thy death. Thou couldst not
sacrifice it, nor divest thyself of this lovely heritage
of thy German lineage ; thou couldst not betray us !
— Behold, now the Briton does thee justice, the

Frenchman admires thee, but only the German can
love thee ! Thou art his, a lovely day out of his
life, a warm drop of his blood, a fragment of his
heart — who will blame us for wishing that thy ashes
might become a portion of his earth, his precious
German earth ? "

The works of Weber comprehend examples of
nearly all the vocal and instrumental forms, except
the sacred oratorio. He completed and published
six operas, and left fragments of three others. Of
his first boyish effort, " Die Macht der Liebe und
des Weins," not a bar has been discovered, and it is
believed that he destroyed it. Of smaller dramatic
works including the melodrama "Preciosa," the
overture, and incidental music for " Turandot," airs

for interpolation in operas of other composers, etc.,
he wrote twenty- eight. His cantatas, using the word
in both its old and newer sense as a composition for
soli and chorus with accompaniment, number eight.
He wrote two masses and a separate offertory for
each j ninety songs, ballads and romances for single
voice with pianoforte or guitar accompaniment ; nine-
teen part-songs for men*s voices ; fourteen canons,
part-songs, etc., for mixed voices with and without

;^^^-H-^ -p^^

fcj^-6

^-u^ av^lIL->a^

^'A

C—-Mj

^•^vlj/u-y^ ir-y — ^ y fh — -^^ ri^ -^, '^^'i^

e/0>y^^.

Fac-slmile letter from Weber replying to inquiry concerning his "Jubel Overture** and pianoforte Concerto.

Also recommending Naumann's " Pater Noster ' as a beautiful work.

36

402

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

accompaniment ; and he arranged ten Scotch songs.
The summary of his purely instnimental music is not
so large. He was not a master of the great epic
form and the two symphonies which he composed
have no significance in an estimate of his work. In
addition to the overtures to his published operas he
wrote three overtures which have appeared separ-
ately : that of" Peter SchmoU *' published as " Grande
Ouverture k plusieurs instruments," "Riibezahl,"
known as " Beherrscher der Geister/* and " Jubel ";
he also wrote five orchestral dances and marches.
He composed three pianoforte concertos, ten
smaller works with pianoforte accompaniment, thir-
teen concerted pieces for various solo instruments
(clarinet, bassoon, flute and violoncello) and orches-
tra, four pianoforte sonatas, seventeen pianoforte
pieces of various other forms for two hands (count-
ing sets of Fughetti, Allemandes, Ecossaises and
Waltzes as single numbers) and twenty similar
pieces for four hands.

Weber's significance lies in his dramatic works.
His songs, charmingly poetical and beautiful as
many of them are, have been pushed into the back-
ground by those of his contemporary Schubert and
his successors in the song-field, Schumann, Franz
and Brahms. His part-songs for men's voices, es-
pecially his settings of Komer's patriotic lyrics, will
probably be sung as long as the German gives voice
to his love of Fatherland through the agency of
Mdnnergesangi'ereine, It is no depreciation of their
artistic merit, however, to say that they fill a much
larger page in the social and political history of
Germany than in the story of musical evolution.
As a composer for the pianoforte Weber long ago
became archaic. His sonatas are seldom heard
now-a-days outside of historical recitals whose pur-
pose is, in the first instance, instructive. The
" Concertsttick," once the hobby of nearly all per-
formers of the brilliant school, is rapidly sinking into
neglect, and one might attend concerts for a decade
in Paris, London, Berlin, Vienna, Boston or New
York without hearing either of the other concertos.
The circumstance that in the " Concertstiick " and
the " Invitation to the Dance," Weber displayed a
distinctly Romantic tendency in the sense of striving
to give expression to a poetical conceit placed at the
foundation of the composition and kept in mind
throughout, accounts in a great degree for the greater
vitality of these two works. Yet even the " Invita-
tion " is admired more to-day in the embellished ver-

sion of Tausigand the orchestral paraphrase of Berlioz
than in its original shape. The value of this exquisite
little dramatic poem in tones, we are inclined to place
so high that the estimate may seem out of all propor-
tion with the rest of this review. The world has
learned, however, that merit lies in contents and fe-
licity of expression rather than pretension and di-
mension, and in view of the subsequent idealization
of the dance by Chopin and his followers, we incline
to the belief that what once may have been regarded
as a trifle really outweighs in importance the bulk of
Weber's pianoforte pieces whose formal titles give
them dignity. The professor and the amateur are
one in their admiration for this delicious composition,
and there is no one so unlearned in music that he
may not arrive at the composer's purpose from a
simple hearing, so he bring love and a bit of fancy
into the concert-room. How many pretty pictures
of brilliant ball-rooms and loving couples has not
this music conjured up in the minds of imaginative
people. Even old Dr. Brown, whose " Rab and his
Friends " will ever keep him dear to Anglo-Saxon
hearts, felt the intoxication of these strains a quarter
century ago, and put on record in The Scotsman
one of the most elo(iuent critical rhapsodies extant.
He pictures the ball-room, the lovers, the meeting in
a shadowy recess, where she (the interested maiden)
had been left by her mother. He (a Lochinvar, of
course) is bending down and asking her to tread a
measure. She, — but we must let Brown go on in
his own way — "She looks still more down, flushes
doubtless, and quietly in the shadow says * No ' and
means * yes ' — says * Yes ' and fully means it, and
they are off! All this small, whispered love-making
and dainty device, this coaxing and being coaxed, is
in the (all too short for us, but not for them) pre-
lude to the waltz, the real business of the piece and
evening. And then such a waltz for waltzing I Such
precision and decision 1 Whisking them round,
moulding them into twin orbs, hurrying them past
and away from everything and everybody but them-
selves." And so old Brown goes on until you
are almost dizzy with reading and entirely ready to
vote that his rhapsody is only a little less delicious
than Weber's music. The decadence of the liking
for chamber music with wind instruments and of
solos for them has relegated Weber's compositions
for the clarinet and its brethren of the harmonious
choir to the museum of musical history.

It is then to his operas that we must go to study

CARL MARIA VON WEBER

403

Weber*s music as an expression of artistic feeling
and conviction and as an influence. He was one
of the forward men of his art, one whose principles
and methods are as vital now as they were when he
was yet alive in the body. In a very significant
sense they are still new to a large portion of the
musical world. They are just dawning in Italy. It
is through Wagner's restatement of them that they
are acquiring validity in new fields. Weber's full
stature, indeed, can only be seen in the light which
the example of Wagner throws upon him. This
light goes out in several directions, but in each in-
stance it discloses Weber as a precursor. The in-
tense Teutonism of Wagner which led him to aim at
a resurrection in a new and glorified body of the
"dramma per musica" of the Florentine reformers
was an inheritance from his father-in-art and prede-
cessor as Capellmeister at the Dresden opera. The
Romanticism of Weber displayed in his choice of
subjects had a literary tincture ; it went no further
than it was propelled by the example of Tieck,
Schlegel and their companions, and it was colored
by the mystical and sentimental Catholicism which
was one of the singular reactionary fruits of the Ro-
mantic movement in (xerman literature. Wagner's
Romanticism is that of a period in which the pen-
dulum had swung back again ; it is psychological,
almost physiological. The old myths will not serve
in their mediaeval form ; they must be reduced to
their lowest terms. Yet though we note this differ-
ence in manifestation, the root of Wagner's Roman-
ticism strikes through Weber's. We have seen how
Weber's sincerity of purpose led him to overturn
the humdrum routine of operatic representation.
His made his intelligence and his feeling to illumi-
nate all sides of the work in hand. He was an in-
termediary not only between the composer and the
performers in all departments, but also between the
art-work and the public. He was wholly modern in
his employment of all the agencies that offered to
induct the public into the beauties and meanings of
the operas which he conducted. He was the pre-
cursor of Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, and all the pres-
ent tribe of literary musicians. To do things per-
functorily seems to have been foreign to his nature.
He labored as conscientiously to win appreciation
for Marschner's " Heinrich IV. und d'Aubign^ " and
Meyerbeer's " Abimelek " as for Beethoven's "Fi-
delio." It is to Weber that we must trace the essen-
tial things which are recognized to-day as marking

the difference between German and Italian opera
outside of language and style of composition.

It is a fact, the bearing of which ought to be
borne in mind while studying the significance of
Weber in the development of music, that he did
not enjoy the favor of the leading men amongst his
contemporaries. The popularity of "Der Freischtitz"
always remained an enigma to Spohr, and Schu-
bert could find nothing to admire in " Euryanthe.**
His want of skill in the handling of form, which in
the early part of his career we are justified in at-
tributing to insufficient study, was an offence which
these men and the majority who were like-minded
with them could not forgive. In his orchestral
treatment, too, and his obvious leaning toward dra-
matic and spectacular effectiveness, they could only
perceive what is now termed sensationalism. The
old notions of the relationship between music and
poetry were still almost universally valid. Beauty
had not come to be looked upon as a relative thing ;
it was believed that to be real it must appeal to all
alike and that those of its elements which rested
upon individual or national predilections were false
in art. Characteristic beauty was an unknown quan-
tity. Weber's definition of an opera when it was
put forth sounded in the ears of his contemporaries
like a heresy the realization of which would mean
the destniction of operatic music. We are become
familiar enough with it since Wagner achieved his
reform, and therefore can scarcely appreciate how
revolutionary it must have sounded three-quarters of
a century ago. The opera, said Weber, is "an art
work complete in itself, in which all the parts and
contributions of the related and utilized arts meet
and disappear in each other, and, in a manner, form
a new world by their own destruction." A society in
Breslau applied to Weber for permission to perform
" Euryanthe " in concert style. Weber denied the
request with the memorable words : " ' Euryanthe *
is a purely dramatic attempt which rests for its
effectiveness upon the cooperation of all the sister
arts, and will surely fail if robbed of their help."
To these two definitions let us add two others
touching singing and form : " It is the first and
most sacred duty of song to be truthful with the ut-
most fidelity possible in declamation"; "All striving
for the beautiful and the new good is praiseworthy ;
but the creation of a new form must be generated
by the poem which is setting." Here we find stated
in the plainest and most succinct terms the foundation

404

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

principles of the modem lyric drama. It may be
urged that Weber did not pursue his convictions to
their extremity as Wagner did, but returned in
"Oberon " to the simpler operatic style ; but this, we
are convinced, was partly because of the intellectual
and physical lassitude due to the consumption of his
vital forces, and partly because of his wish to adapt
himself to the customs of the English stage and the
taste of the people for whom he composed his
fairy opera. This is obvious not only from his letters
to Planch^, the librettist of " Oberon," but from his
subsequent effort to remodel the opera to suit his
own ideas " so that ' Oberon ' may deserve the name
of opera." On February 1 6, 1 825, he wrote : " These
two acts are also filled with the greatest beauties. I
embrace the whole in love, and will endeavor not to
remain behind you. To this acknowledgment of
your work you can give credit, the more as I must
repeat, that the cut of the whole is very foreign to all
my ideas and maxims. The intermixing of so many
principal actors who do not sing, the omission of the
music in the most important moments — all these
things deprive our * Oberon ' of the title of an opera,
and will make him unfit for all other theatres in Eu-
rope, which is a very bad thing for me, but passons
la ifessus.^^ His adherence to the belief in the
necessity of an intimate and affectionate relation
between poetry and music, moreover, has beautiful
assertion in the concluding words of the same letter :
" Poets and composers live together in a sort of
angels' marriage which demands a reciprocal trust."
It is the manner in which he has wedded the
drama with music which makes " Euryanthe " a
work that, at times, seems almost ineffable. There
is no groping in the dark such as might have been
expected in the case of a pathfinder. Weber is
pointing the way to thitherto undreamed-of possibil-
ities and means, yet his hand is steady, his judg-
ment all but unerring. The eloquence and power
of the orchestra as an expositor of the innermost
sentiments of the drama are known to him. Wit-
ness his use of the band in the larf^o episode of the
overture, designed to accompany a picture which
Weber wished to have disclosed during the music
for the purpose of giving coherency and intelligi-
bility to the hopelessly defective book of the opera.
Witness the puissance of the orchestra again in
Lysiarfs great air, " Wo berg ich mich ? " Eury-
anihe's recital of the secret, Eglantine's distraught
confession, and more strikingly than anywhere else

in the wondrously pathetic scene following Adolar^s
desertion, and the instrumental introduction in the
third act in which is to be found the germ of one of
Wagner's most telling devices in "Tristan" and
" Siegfried." Witness also how brilliantly its colors
second the joyous, sweeping strains which publish
the glories of mediaeval chivalry. Will it ever be
possible to put loftier sentiment and sincerer expres-
sion into a delineation of brave knighthood and its
homage to fair woman than inspire every measure of
the first act? Whither could we turn for more
powerful expression of individual character through
the means of musical declamation than we find in
the music of Euryanthe and Eglantine? To Wag-
ner's honor it must be said that he never denied his
indebtedness to Weber, but if he had it would have
availed him nothing while the representatives of the
evil principle in " Euryanthe " and " Lohengrin "
present so obvious a parallel, not to mention Wag-
ner's drafts upon what may be called the external
apparatus of Weber's score. Somewhat labored at
times, and weighted with the fruits of reflection, the
music unquestionably is, but for each evidence of
intellectual straining discernible how many instances
of highly emotionalized music, real, true, expressive
music, present themselves to charm the hearer, and
with what a delightful shock of surprise is not the
discovery made that the old-fashioned roulades,
when they come (which they do w^ith as much
naivete as in Mozart) have been infused with a
dramatic potency equalled only by Mozart in some
of his happiest inspirations ? Of finest gold is the
score of " Euryanthe." That it is come so tardily
into its estate, and that even to-day it is still under-
estimated and misunderstood, is the fault of its li-
bretto. Dr. Spitta has gallantly broken a lance in
defence of the book, but no amount of ingenious
argumentation can justify the absurd complication
created by the prudery of a German blue-stocking
to avoid Shakespeare's simple expedient, the " mole,
cinque-spotted." After all has been said and done
in defence of the book, the fact remains that it is
the attitude of the hero and heroine of the play to a
mystery which is wholly outside the action and can-
not be brought within the sympathetic cognizance
of the spectators, that supplies the motive to the
conduct of Adolar and Euryanthe,

The device of introducing the largo episode in the
overture of " Euryanthe " to accompany a tableau
temporarily disclosed by the withdrawal of the cur-

\.

C^'

°1

,i|
It
■1

s s

-■■IK)

4o6

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

tain, the tableau having a bearing on the ghostly
part of the dramatic tale, may be said to serve not
only to prove Weber's appreciation of the funda-
mental defect of the book, but also to indicate his
anxiety to establish a more intimate relationship be-
tween the instrumental introduction and the drama.
The choral " Ave Maria " in the overture to Meyer-
beer's " Dinorah " and the Siciliano in the prelude to
Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" are but varia-
tions of Weber's futile invention. It would be un-
availing to deny that the want of symphonic devel-
opment in Weber's overtures, the circumstance that
they are little else than potpourris of melodies ideal-
ized in a manner by the splendor of their instru-
mentation, prevents them from aspiring to the
dramatic dignity and significance of such overtures
as Mozart wrote for " Don Giovanni " and Beetho-
ven for " Fidelio." As a creative composer Weber
was first of all a melodist, secondarily a colorist.
His want of constructive skill was held up as a re-
proach to him by his colleagues all through his
career. It is not to make a plea in behalf of law-
lessness to say that this deficiency in Weber's artis-
tic equipment was less detrimental to his works and
influence than a deficiency in any other department
would have been. Not a destruction of form but
an extension of forms, an adaptation of the vessel
to its new contents, was a necessary consequence of
the introduction of the Romantic spirit as a dom-
inant element in music. The Romanticism of the
poets who inspired the musical Romanticists, con-
sisted not only in their effort to overthrow the stilted
rhetoric and pedantry of the German writers who
were following stereotyped French models, but also
in their effort to disclose the essential beauty which
pervades the world of mystery beyond the plain re-
alities of this life. They found the elements of
their creations in the imaginative literature of the
Middle Ages, — the marv^ellous and fantastic stories
of chivalry and superstition. A man like Schumann
touches hands with these poets in all of their striv-
ings. His music rebels against the formalism which
had assumed despotic dominion over the art, and
also expresses the thousand and one emotions to
which that formalism refused adequate expression.
Weber's art was so deeply rooted in that of the last
century that he could not place himself wholly upon
this level. His violations of conventional forms are
less the fniit of necessity than the product of in-
capacity. His Romanticism, except that phase

which we have already discussed in connection with
his patriotic lyrics, had more of an external nature
and genesis — it sprang from the subjects of his
operas. The treatment of these subjects by an in-
stinctively truthful musical dramatist was bound to
produce the features in which that which is chiefly
characteristic in Weber's music is found. The su-
pernaturalism of "Der FreischOtz" and "Oberon,"
the chivalresque sentiment of " Euryanthe " and the
national tinge of " Preciosa," all made new demands
upon music so soon as the latter came to be looked
upon as only one vehicle of dramatic expression in-
stead of the chief business of the piece. The mu-
sical investiture of necessity borrowed local ele-
ments from the subject. Without losing its prerog-
ative as an expounder of the innermost feelings of
the drama it acquired a decorative capacity so far
as the externals of the play were concerned. Music
became frankly delineative. Whatever may be
thought of descriptive music in connection with the
absolute forms of the art there can be no question
as to its justification in the lyric drama where text,
action and scenery are so many programmes, or
guides to the purposes of the composer and the
fancy of the listener. The more material kind of
delineation, that which helped to heighten the
effect of the stage pictures, to paint the terrors of
the Wolfs Glen with its infernal rout as well as
the dewy freshness of the forest and the dainty grace
of the tripping elves, was paired with another kind
far more subtle. The people of the play, like their
prototypes in the mediaeval romances, ceased to be
representatives of universal types, and became in-
stead individuals who borrowed physiognomy from
time, environment and race. To give expression to
the attributes thus acquired it became necessary to
study the characteristics of those popular publica-
tions of emotion which had remained outside the
artificial forms of expression. The voice of the
German people with their love for companionship,
the chase and nature, and their instinctive devotion
to the things which have survived as relics of a time
when their racial traits were fixed in them, Weber
caught up from the Folk-song, which ever and anon
in the history of art, when music has threatened to
degenerate into inelastic formalism, has breathed into
it the breath of life. For the delineation of spirit-
ual characteristics Weber utilized the melodic and
rhythmic elements of the people's self-created pop-
ular songs ; for material delineation his most potent

4o8

FAAfOUS COAfPOSERS

agency was instrumentation. I'o the band he gave
a share in the representation such as only Bee-
thoven, Mozart and Gluck before him had dreamed
of. The most striking feature of his treatment of
the orchestra is his emancipation of the wood-wind
choir. His numerous discoveries in the domain of
effects consequent on his profound study of inslni-
mental timbre placed colors upon the palettes of
every one of his successors. The supernatural
voices of his Wolf's Glen scene are echoed in Verdi
as well as in Meyerbeer and Marschner. The fairy

footsteps of Oberon's dainty folk are heard not only
in Mendelssohn but in all the compositions since his
time in which the amiable creatures of supematar-
alism are sought to be delineated. The reform,
not only in composition, but also in representation
achieved by Richard \\agner is an artistic legacy
from Carl Maria von Weber. It is but the interest
upon the five talents given into the hands of a faith-
ful servant who buried them not in the ground but
traded with them " and made them other five
talents."

M^Ou/

HEINRICH MARSCHNER

laaetlon af a lltlwsrap* pcrlrall itraiim by T. A. Jang and publlahtd tv •lahannlna A Wkatmm, U

HEINRICH MARSCHNER

is a little less than a genera-
ion since Heinrich Marschner died
ifter having for the same time been
Dne of the most picturesque and
ngnificant figures in the art-life of
Hanover. For twenty-eight years he had been
Royal Chapelmaster with salary aod duties; for
two years thereafter General Director of Music with
a pension. Affecting a custom common among the
men of learning in Germany and the academic
musicians of Great Britain, he prefixed the title of
his honorary university degree to his signature.
He was Dr. H, Marschner, On court occasions he
could bedizen his breast with baubles enough to make
a brave show amongst the civil and military servants
of his Hanoverian Majesty King Geoi^e V. He was
Knight of the Order of the Saxo'n- Ernestine House ;
Knight of the Guelphic Order; Knight of the
Order of Danebrog; possessor of the Bavarian
and Austrian medals for Merit in Art and Science,
He was also Honorary Citizen of Hanover,
died suddenly of apoplexy at the age of sixty-sij
fore his capacity for work had become seriously im-
paired ; his mind was occupied with a new opei
when death overtook him. In his day and genera-
tion he was one of the most admired of Germany's
opera writers. Hc lived to see nearly all of the
colleagues and rivals of his prime die and their cre-
ations fade out of public memory. Lindpaintner,
Dorn, and Reissiger are names that come to our
ears like faint echoes of once-living voices.
Kreutzer and Ixirtzing wake at long intervals in
sporadic performances in small or provincial the-
atres. Marschner is in a more fortunate case, for
his was greater genius. Three of his operas
still have a considerable degree of vitality, and some
of his stirring part-songs for men's voices are yet
sung and heard with delight. But only in Germany.
Dust lies deep upon his pianoforte and chamber
music wherever it is. Yet it is less than a generation

since he died. Day by day it becomes more diffi-
cult to assign him the place to which he is entitled
in the Temple of Fame, for he wrote for but one
people and his memory is perishing even amongst

The birth-place of Heinrich Marschner was Zittau
in Saxony. He was bom August 16, 1795 and im-
bibed his love for music as most German boys ol
good family imbibe theirs. His father was fond ot
the art and it was industriously practised in the
family. When the lad manifested an unusual de-
gree of talent, the father, instead of becoming
alarmed, encouraged its use, though he had no mind
that his son should become a musician. Karl Gott-
lieb Hering, an eminent musical pedagogue at the
time a teacher in the town Seminary, was called in
to be the lad's teacher. Meanwhile he pursued his
other studies and in due time entered the Gymna-
sium where his musical gifts and lovely voice found
occupation in the Gymnasial choir. At the solicita-
tion of the music teacher in the Gymnasium at
Bautzen he went thither for a space and sung the
soprano solos in the Bautzen choir, but his voice
changing he returned to his native town and there
completed liis lower studies. The political situation
(it was in 1813 and Germany was preparing to rid
herself of Napoleon) interfered with his father's
wishes to have him proceed at once to Leipsic to
take up the study of jurisprudence at the University.
There was a brief respite which he spent in Prague
until the suspension of the truce compelled him to
leave the Bohemian Capital. He returned to his
home in Zittau for a short time, then proceeded to
Leipsic and was there a witness of the great three-
days' battle. The brief stay in Prague had helped
to keep the artistic fires burning on the altar of his
heart, for there he became acquainted with Johann
Wenzel Tomaschek, the Bohemian composer and
teacher. Marschner was matriculated at the Uni-
versity so soon as the return of more peaceful times

4IO

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

permitted the step to be taken, and began his study
of the law. His experience, however, was like that
of Schumann later. While trying to be faithful to
his Corpus Juris, he found the fascinations of Dame
Music stronger than his will. Some of his essays
in composition were applauded and he resolved to
become a musician instead of a lawyer. Schicht,
one of Bach's successors in the position of Cantor
of the Thomas School was now his teacher, and in
1815 he felt himself sufficiently strong as a piano-
forte virtuoso to undertake a concert tour to Carls-
bad. There he met the Hungarian Count Thad-
deus von Amad^e, who persuaded him to seek his
fortune in Vienna. He went thither in 18 16, made
the acquaintance of Beethoven and, aided by the
music-loving Count, was appointed to a position as
teacher in Pressburg where three years later he mar-
ried his first wife, Eugenie Jaggi, and completed the
first of his operas which achieved the distinction of
a representation. This opera was " Henry IV.
and d'Aubign^ " which he sent to Weber at Dres-
den in 18 1 8. A year earher he had set Kotzebue's
" The Kyffhaus Mountain." The title of this, his first
opera, indicates that his mind was from the begin-
ning turned toward the legendary materials which
afterward became the inspiration of the Neo-Ro-
mantic school. It is possible, too, that this predis-
position toward the supernatural was strengthened
by an incident which has been related by Louis
Koliler in connection with the first representation
of " Henry IV. and d'Aubign^.*' This story is to
the effect that one night in 1819 Marschner, living
far from Dresden (the year must have been 1820,
the place Pressburg) dreamed that he was witness-
ing a performance of his opera. The applause so
excited him that he awoke and sprang from his bed.
Ten days later he received a letter from Weber en-
closing ten ducats honorarium and conveying the
intelligence that on the night of the dream " Henry
IV. and d'Aubignd" had been produced at
Dresden with great success. As has already been
indicated in one respect the credibility of the story
suffers somewhat from analysis of its details. The
fact that he dreamed of a performance of his opera
and the possibility of the influence of the dream
upon his mind need not be disputed. It is ex-
tremely improbable, however, that he was ignorant
of the date set for the performance as is implied in
the story, for on July 7, 1820, twelve days before
the first representation, Weber, in continuance of

the friendly policy which he adopted five years be-
fore in order to introduce Meyerbeer to Prague,
published a description of the opera in the Abend-
zeitung of Dresden. It seems to be beyond ques-
tion, however, that Weber produced the opera
chiefly to encourage the young composer.

After spending over five years in Pressburg,
Marschner visited Saxony to look after some family
affairs. The kindness with which Councillor von
Konneritz, Theatrical Intendant, and Weber re-
ceived him, determined him to remove to Dresden.
His wife had died soon after marriage. He now
took up a residence in the Saxon Capital, and after
he had composed incidental music for Kleist's
drama, " Prince Frederick of Homburg," he was by
royal rescript, dated September 4, 1824, appointed
Royal Music Director of the German and Italian
Opera, becoming thus an associate of Weber, whose
friendship manifested itself daily in the most helpful
manner.

Marschner's " Henry IV.*' was brought out by
Weber in the year which gave " I)er Freischiitz *' to
the world. It was followed by " Saidar," words by
Dr. Hornbostel, composed in 181 9, "The Wood
Thief," words by Kind, the poet of "Der Frei-
schtitz," and " Lucretia," words by Ehschlagen.
" Saidar " was performed without success in Strass-
burg, "The Wood Thief" in January, 1825, in
Dresden, and "Lucretia" in 1826 in Dantsic under
Marschner's direction. Weber's death in London
on June 5, 1826, marked a turning-point in the en-
ergetic young composer's career. Failing in the
appointment to the post made vacant by Weber's
death, he severed his connection with the Dresden
Theatre, married a singer named Marianne Wohl-
brtick on July 3, and a few months later removed to
Leipsic.

His second marriage was celebrated at Magde-
burg. A brother of the bride was Wilhelm A.
Wohlbriick, to whom Marschner submitted the sub-
ject of " The Vampire " before he returned to Leip-
sic. Two years afterwards the opera had its first
representation. Its immediate success, and possibly
his newly attained domestic happiness, were a
mighty spur to his industry and fancy. "The
Templerand the Jewess," founded on Scott's " Ivan-
hoe," followed in 1829, and "The Falconer's Bride"
in 1830, Wohlbruck being the poet in both cases.
The triumph of "The Vampire" was eclipsed by
that of " The Templar and the Jewess," whose chiv-

HEINRICH MARSCHNER

411

alresque subject was naturally much more amiable
than the gruesome story of "The Vampire."
Marschner's attention was drawn to Scott's " Ivan-
hoe ** when, having been invited like Weber to
compose an opera for Ix>ndon, he imitated Weber's
example and prepared himself for the work by
learning English. "The Vampire," translated by
Planch^, the librettist of "Oberon," had been well
received in London, though Planch^ took the liberty
of changing the scene from Scotland, where the
author of the story had placed it, to Hungary.
Nothing came of the London invitation, because of
the burning of the Covent Garden Theatre.

Marschner was now at the zenith of his fame.
Toward the close of 1830 he accepted an invitation
to become Royal Chapelmaster at Hanover and dis-
tinguished himself at once in his new position by
composing " Hans Heiling," his finest work and the
strongest prop of his present fame. The book of
this opera had been submitted to him anonymously.
When the opera was first performed in 1833 in
Berlin the librettist sang the titular role. It was
none other than Edward Devrient. Marschner's

reception at Hanover was in every way distin-
guished, but long before his death he forfeited some
of the good will of the court circles and the portion
of society influenced by them. Domestic misfor-
tunes doubtless contributed much to embitter his
disposition. He lost his wife in 1854. The imme-
diate cause of his withdrawal in 1859 from active
sei-vice was the appointment of C. L. Fischer as
second Chapelmaster against his wishes. He lost
his interest in the orchestra which he had brought
to a high state of efficiency and was pensioned off
as a General Music Director. Before then he mar-
ried a third wife, a contralto singer named Therese
Janda of Vienna, who survived him. He died of an
apoplectic stroke on December 15, 1 861, at nine
o'clock in the evening. Besides the works men-
tioned in the foregoing recital, he composed " The
Castle on Aetna," "The Babu," " Adolph of Nassau,"
and "Austin," operas, and incidental music to
Kind's "Fair Ella," Hell's "Ali Baba," Roden-
berg's " Waldmiiller's Margret " and Mosenthal's
" The Goldsmith of Ulm."

^^j^^^ Zi^ ^llw.^ JlcS^ /tS*/.-* /-w,^ "Ta^^i^

UUr ^'-^ -^^^— ^' 1^ —— ^^J "" "^ *^*" r^"*'^ or^^^^^^JcLj X^^^fMy^

/fec^^ c4: /^ V^ . 57.

L€^ . '^Aj^ly%'*^C'%r%f^»*'^

'^*'^''-^-**-'^^-HV^»M/.

Fac-simiie of a letter thanking an unnamed confiposer for a set of variations on themes from

his opera " Hans Heiling."

412

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Marschner was not an old man when he died, yet
his life compassed the climax of the Classic Period
of German Music, the birth and development of the
Romantic School and the first vigorous stirrings of
the spirit exemplified in the latter-day dramas of
Richard Wagner. He knew Beethoven, stood elbow
to elbow with Weber, fought by the side of Spohr
and exerted an influence of no mean potency
in the development of Wagner. He was the
last of the three foremost champions who carried
the banner of Romanticism into the operatic
field. It is likely that had he asserted his individu-
ality more boldly instead of fighting behind the
shields of his two great associates the world would
know better than it does that he was a doughty
warrior ; and criticism would speak less often of his
music as a reflection and of him as merely a strong
man among the epigonoi of Beethoven and Weber.
Wagner set his face sternly against the estimate
which lowers him to the level of a mere imitator.
Schumann esteemed his operas more highly than
those of any of his contemporaries, in spite of their
echoes of Weber's ideas and methods. His record
of the impression made on his mind by a perform-
ance of " The Templar and the Jewess " is a compact
and comprehensive estimate of Marschner's compo-
sitions : " The music occasionally restless ; the instru-
mentation not entirely lucid ; a wealth of admirable
and expressive melody. Considerable dramatic
talent ; occasional echoes of Weber. A gem not en-
tirely freed from its rough covering. The voice -
treatment not wholly practicable, and crushed by the
orchestra. Too much trombone."

It is scarcely to be marvelled at that the world
should have accepted the old verdict. Outside of
Germany Marschner has had no existence for more
than half a century. In Germany three of his
operas may occasionally be heard. All the rest of
his list have disappeared from the stage as com-
pletely as the hundreds of his compositions in the
smaller forms. These three operas, "The Vam-
pire," " The Templar and the Jewess " and " Hans
Heiling," not only contain his best music but also
exemplify the sum of his contributions to the Ro-
mantic movement. In them he appears in his full-
est measure complementary to Weber and Spohr.
Yet to appreciate this fact it is necessary to view
them in the light of the time and the people for
which they were created. It is scarcely possible to
conceive their existence, much less to perceive their

significance under changed conditions and beyond
the borders of the German land. The measure of
their present popularity in Germany is also the
measure of their comparative merit. In them is
exhibited Marschner's growth in clearness, truthful-
ness and forcefulness of expression and his appreci-
ation of Romantic ideals. At this late day it is
impossible to perceive anything else than a wicked
perversion of those ideals in "The Vampire " ; yet it
finds a two-fold explanation in the morbid tendency
of literature and the stage in Europe two genera-
tions ago, and the well-known proneness of the
(iermans to supernaturalism. The story is an ex-
cresence on the face of Romanticism for which the
creators of the literary phase of the movement are
not responsible. It tells of a nobleman who, having
forfeited his life, prolongs it and wins temporary im-
munity from punishment by drinking the life-blood
of his brides, three of whom he is compelled by a
compact with the Evil One to sacrifice between mid-
night and midnight once a year. At the base of
this dreadful superstition lies the notion that the
Vampire's unconquerable thirst for blood is a pun-
ishment visited upon a perjurer. It may be largely
fanciful, but it must, nevertheless, not be overlooked
in accounting for the popularity of this subject that
a degree of sympathy for it among the German peo-
ple may have been due to the fact that it contains a
faint mythological echo. In the Voluspa perjurers
are condemned in their everlasting prison-house to
wade knee-deep in blood. It is this superstition
which prolongs the action in the opera until the
fiend has killed two of his victims and stands before
the altar with her who had been selected as the
third. In treating this gmesome subject Marschner
and his librettist compelled their hearers to sup full
of horrors ; nor did they scorn the melodramatic
trick, which survived in the Bertrams and Rigolettos
of a later time, of investing a demon \snth a trait of
character calculated to enlist sympathetic pity in his
behalf. The direct responsibility for this bit of lit-
erary and theatrical pabulum rests with Byron. He
wrote the tale for the delectation of his friends in
Geneva. But the time was ripe for it. Blanche
adapted a French melodrama on the subject for
London six years before he performed a similar ser-
vice to Marschner's opera, and Lindpaintner com-
posed his " Vampire " a year after Marschner's work
had been brought forward.

The frank supernaturalism of "The Vampire,"

414

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

though it can only present itself to us in the light of
perverted and vulgarized Romanticism, made a pow-
erful appeal to the Germans with their innate if un-
conscious sympathy with the dethroned creatures of
paganism. It was the vivid embodiment of this
sympathy which gave to the Romantic School the
characteristic element which Marschner represents in
his estate of originality. The supernaturalism which
is little more than an influence in " Der Freischfitz "
is boldly personified in " The Vampire." Already at
the outset of the opera, the silent diabolism of
Weber's Samid is magnified and metamorphosed
into a chorus of witches, ghosts, and devils. The
opening scene is a choral Wolfs Glen, the copy going
so far as the choice of Weber's key, F-sharp minor.
Yet in spite of the imitation it is here that Marsch-
ner first struck the keynote of the strongest element
of his dramatic music, — the demoniac. It was the
fault of the subject that he could not give a sign
here of the element in which he is stronger still, or
at least, more original, — the element of rude
humor. That manifestation had to wait for the
coming of Friar Tuck in his setting of the story of
" Ivanhoe." The third element in which the strong
talent of the composer moves most freely and effect-
ually is the delineation of folk-scenes. Here he has
followed closely in the footsteps of Weber and
caught up the spirit of the common people as they
gave it expression in their songs and dances. As
Luther, in transforming a dialect into a literary
language, caught the idiom from the lips of the
people in the market-place, so Weber and Marschner
went for their folk-music to the popular revels in
tavern, field, and forest.

A want of dramatic cohesion and homogeneity has
militated against "The Templar and the Jewess,"
the only opera of the three which might by virtue of
its subject, have achieved and retained popularity
in England, France and America as well as Ger-
many. It suffers, too, in contrast with Weber's
" Euryanthe " by reason of its failure to reach the
lofty plane of chivalresque sentiment on which
Weber's almost ineffable opera moves with an aris-
tocratic grace and ease that put even " Lohengrin "
to shame. Nevertheless, some of the significance
of " The Templar and the Jewess " may be found in
the evidences that " Lohengrin " is in part its off-
spring. The parallelisms are too striking to be
overlooked, especially in the ordeals by which the
two heroines are tried. The prayers of Rebecca
and Elsa, the reliance of each upon a heaven-sent
champion, the employment of the accompanying
wood-winds stamp them as sisters in art. In " Hans
Heiling," the supernaturalism is greatly purified and
idealized. The hero of the opera is a king of un-
derground spirits, who relinquishes his throne for
love of a mortal maiden. He is deceived in his
love, but stifles his desire for vengeance and returns
to his old dominion. The musical advance over
"The Vampire" is commensurate with the ethical.
The musical declamation approaches in truthfulness
that of the modern lyric drama, and an ingenious
compromise is effected with the cumbersome device
of spoken dialogue. In the scenes which play on
the earth, this relic of the old German Singspiel
is retained ; but in Heiling s subterranean kingdom
all speech is music.

'#»^ ^

hUutCJi

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

Hapredaetlan af an nsraiilng afttr aa all portrait /rtm 11/*, mail ty MiMtluolin'i initiir-ln^aui, W. Hmn

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

HE story of his fine life, watched
over from the cradle as by fairies,
is a poem. The family names are
compound. Mendelssohn is Ger-
man for son of Mendel ; Bartholdy
is Hebrew for son of Tholdy. One key to his artis-
tic character is the general culture, intellectual and
social, of the man, for which the opportunities were
granlecl him from infancy in fuller measure than to
any other great musician. Born in prosperity,
amid refining influences; taught Greek and Latin
classics; familiar with living poets, scholars and
philosophers who frequented his father's house ;
passing a fortnight at the impressible age of eleven
in the house of Goethe ; imbued with reverence for
the character and teaching of his wise Platonic
grandfather, the Jew Moses Mendelssohn, the model
for Lessing's " Nathan the Wise " ; stimulated by
the piquant and genial letters of his three gifted
aunts (two of whom had turned Catholic), and
above all by the tender, wise, exacting and appre-
ciative oversight of his excellent father, to whom
the best was only "just good enough," he grew
unconsciously into a large and liberal way of
thinking. He was at home in the most cultiva'ted
circles, "a native there, and to the manner born."
What might it not have been to Schubert to have
germinated and unfolded under such a genial sun
in such a soil ! Well was the youth named Felix !

Moses Mendelssohn, a little humpbacked Jew
peddler boy, with keen eyes and winning face,
came to BerUn about the middle of the last century.
He had a hard fight with penury, and an uncon-
querable passion for knowledge and the cuhure of
his mind. At that time the Jews in Germany were
at the lowest stage of social repression. Excluded
from nearly all honorable and profitable pursuits,
restricted to Jew quarters, outcast and despised,
they were the chosen victims of Christian intoler-
ance. On the other hand, driven back upon the

synagogue, upon the even fiercer bigotry of their
own priests and rabbis, with whom " to speak the
German language correctly or to read a German
book was heresy," the young man was caught be-
tween two fires. Vet so brave, so able was he, so
faithful to his great life purpose, and withal so
winning by his hearty, sterling honesty of spirit,
that he became one of the lights of German litera-
ture, one of its recognized apostles ; the intimate
associate of Lessing, Herder, Kant, etc. His con-
versation had the Socratic quality ; and his
"Phaedo," a dialogue on immortality, founded on
that of Plato, was so persuasive that it was trans-
lated into many languages. He married a Jewess
in Hamburg, and grew prosperous as well as learned.
He left three daughters and three sons. Abraham,
the father of Felix, was the second son, a thriving
banker, for a while in Paris, when he married Lea
Salomon, of the Bartholdy family, a lady of wealth
and culture, from Berlin, and formed a partnership
with his elder brother in his native Hamburg.
Their first child was Fanny, bom, as her mother
said, with " Bach fugue fingers." The second child,
Jakob Ludwig Felix, was born February 3, 1809.
Before he was three years old, the French occupied
Hamburg, and Abraham fled to Berlin, where he
formed a new banking house, and his whole family
were baptized into the Protestant Communion, tak-
ing the added name Bartholdy.

The patriarchal rule, obedience and industry, was
strict in the house. But the father was kind and
gentle as well as severe, and Felix loved him dearly ;
called him "not only my father, but my teacher
both in art and in life " ; and wondered how it was
possible that a father, not a technical musician,
could criticize the son's early efforts in composition
so shrewdly and so justly. After Felix became
famous, Abraham said once humorously of himself:
" Formerly I was the son of my father, now I am
the father of my son."

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

The molhcr, a lady of fine person, with an air of
much benevolence and dignity, was a model house-
wife ; spoke several languages, read Homer in the
Greek, played the piano, and gave the first frequent
five-minute lessons to her two eldest children, Fanny
and Felix. The boy was full of life and fond of

MENDELSSOHN'S BIRTHPLACE I

out-door play, very attractive with bis long brown
curls and great brown eyes. He was frank, un-
spoiled, earnest in what he undertook, and could
bear no foolish flattery, no nonsense.

After a short visit of the family to Paris, in 1816,
when Fanny was eleven and Felix seven years old,
the children'seducation began systematically. Heyse

(father of the novelist) was their tutor at large;
Ludwig Berger, teacher for piano; the strict, con-
servative Zelter (Goethe's friend) for thorough bass
and covmterpoint ; Henning for violin. Felix,
whose pen and pencil sketches in his letters show
such a facile gift for drawing, was taught landscape
by Rijsel. Greek he learned
with his younger sister Re-
becka, even reading ^^schylus.
The children were kept closely
to their lessons ; Felix used to
say how much they enjoyed
the Sundays, when they had
not to get up at five o'clock to
work.

He was first heard in a
public concert on Oct. 24,
1818, when he played the
piano part in a trio with two
horns with much applause.
Early in his eleventh year he
entered the singing class of
the Singakademie as an alto.
"There he took his place,"
writes his friend Devrient,
"amongst the grown people,
in his child's suit, a tight fit-
ting jacket cut very low at the
neck, and with full trousers
buttoned over it. Into the
slanting pockets of these he
liked to thrust his hands, rock-
ing his curly head from side
to side, and shifting restlessly
from one foot to the other. —
He spoke French and English
fluently ; wrote a letter in good
Italian; and translated the
"Andrea" of Terence into
German verse, besides making
S- such good headway in Greek.

He could ride and swim and
dance, right heartily, but was
not fond of mathematics,

In 1820, his twelfth year, he set about composing
regularly. With that year begins the series of forty-
four volumes in which he methodically preserved
autograph copies of a great part of his works down
to the time of his death, with date and place care-
fiilly noted. These are now in the Imperial Library

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

419

at Berlin. Another proof of his methodical self-dis-
cipline is found in the iact that for many yeare he
made it an invariable rule to compose something
every day.

His productive activity during the six early years
from iSzo to 1826 was incessant, many-sided and
prolific. In 1820, among other compositions
named by Grove, are a Trio for piano and strings ;
a Sonata for pianoforte and violin ; another for
pianoforte solo ; four oi^an pieces ; a Cantata, bear-
ing the earliest date of all (Jan. 13) ; a Lustspiel
for voices and pianoforte, in three scenes, beginning ;
" Ich Felix Mendelssohn,"
etc. In 1821, five Sym-
phonies for strings, songs,
one-act operas. This was
the year when Zelter first
took him to Goethe at
Weimar.

The next two years were
no less productive. In the
summer of iSaa the whole
family made a leisurely
tour in Switzerland, visit-
ing on the way Spohr at
Cassel, on the return Schel-
ble, conductor of the fa-
mous Cacilien-Verein at
Frankfort, and Goethe
again at Weimar. Near
Geneva he wrote the first
(Op. i) of three Quartets ' ' — -.

for pianoforte and stnngs.

In the two years six more ™ "" '" *,o".iB~.« w

quartet Symphonies, mak-
ing twelve in all, which do not figure in the cata-
logue, although they were not mere exercises.
Then, too, an opera, " The Uncle from Boston,"
in three acts. He was then nearly fifteen, grow-
ing fast, his features and expression altering and
maturing, and his hair cut short.

it is pleasant to read of the Sunday morning
music in his grandmother's large dining-room, with
a small orchestra, Felix conducting, Fanny or him-
self at the piano, Rebecka singing, and the young
brother Paul playing the 'cello. Some composition
of his own had place in every programme. Noted
musicians passing through Berlin were often present.
For critic there was his own father, besides the wise
old Zelter. Every evening, also, more or less.

.J'

the house was enlivened by music, theatrical im-
promptus, and "constant flux and reflux of young,
clever, distinguished people, who made the suppers
gay and noisy, and among whom Felix was the fa-
vorite." Among the intimates were Moscheles and
Spohr.

A great advance was shown in the compositions
of 1824. In the summer Felix, with his father and
Rebecka, visited a bathing place on the shores of the
Baltic, where he got his first impressions of the sea,
afterwards reproduced in the MreressHlle overture.
In the next spring father and son were in Paris.
There Felix met all the
famous French musicians.
Their devotion to eff<(t
and superficial glitter, their
ignorance of German mu-
sic (Onslow, for instance,
having never heard a note
of Fidelio), the insulting
liberties they took with
some of its masterpieces,
' enraged the enthusiastic
7 lad. With Cherubini his
intercourse was more satis-
factory. On the way home
they paid a third, short
visit to Goethe. The fiery
Capriccio in F sharp minor,
and the score of the two-
act opera, Camacho's Wed-
ding, from Don Quixote,
were fruits of that year.
'iir^H'tnitr'"' """ "' "" That summer Abraham

Mendelssohn purchased the
large house and grounds (ten acres) at No. 3
Leipziger Strasse, which became the sumptuous
abode of the fcmily, until the death of Felix, when
it was occupied by the Herrenhaus, or House of
Lords of the Prussian government. As described
by Hensel, it was a dignified, old-fashioned, spacious
palace, then in the suburbs of Berlin, near the Pots-
dam gate, on the edge of the Thiei^arten, Behind
the house was a court with offices, then gardens and
a park with noble trees, — just the ideal seat for
such an artistic family ! There was a room for large
musical parties and private theatricals. Between
the court and the garden stood the Garlenhaus, the
middle of which formed a hall laige enough to hold
several hundred persons, with glass doors opening

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

on the lawns and alleys. It was a delightrul summer
house, but rather bleak in winter. There the Sun-
day music found new life ; there Felix composed

MENDELSSOHN'S MOTHER.

Ihe Octet for strings ; there, too, in the fine sum-
mer of 1826, the work with which he "took his
final musical degree," astonishing the world as a
full-flcdged composer, a master of original, imagina-
tive genius, the overture to A Midsummer Night's
Dream. }fe had been reading with his sisters the
Schlegel and Tieck version of Shakespeare's play.
In this and many instances Fanny, herself a
good musician and composer, was her brother's
confidante and critic. The faiiy vein, which had
cropped out in earlier works (the Quintet in A, the
Octet, etc.), seemed to have reached its full ex-
pression here. And the wonder is that the motives
of the Overture all came in place when he wrote
music for the whole play seventeen years later.

Meanwhile Camacho was granted one unwilling
hearing by Spontini, in the smiller theatre. Galled
by the sneering remarks of the critics, Felix found
the art atmosphere of Berlin more and more antip-
athetic. Entering the University of that city, he

had less time for composition. How far he followed
the course does not appear. He attended lectures
of Hegel (one of whose courses was on music), and
of Ritter, the great geographer. And he resumed
his study of Italian classics, translating into German
verse sonnets of Dante and others. There too he
became a proficient in landscape drawing. Ten
years later the University of Leipsic conferred on
him the honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

The life in the new house was very genial and
active. FeHx practised riding, swimming and other
gymnastics with characteristic ardor "to the ut-
most " ; for skating he could not bear the cold.
And what a brilliant and elite society frequented
those large rooms : Rahel Vamhagen, Bettina, Heine,
Holtei, Lindblad, Marx, Humboldt, W. Mullet,
Hegel, — all famous then or afterwards ! Young
people were there " in troops." They had a little
newspaper of their own, called in summer Garten-
Zeitiing, in winter Schnee- uitd Tkee-Zeilung, edited
by Felix and Mant, to which all comers were free to
contribute ; paper, ink and pens lay ready in the
summer-houses. Graver heads, like Humboldt and
Zelter, used the opportunity ! " In all this brilliant
interchange of art, science and literature," says
Grove, " Felix, even at this early date, was the
prominent figure. When he entered the room every
one was anxious to speak to him. Women of double
his age made love to him; and men, years after-
wards, treasured every word that fell from his lips. "

During the next winter, hearing a complaint that
Bach seemed like an arithmetical exercise, Felix
formed a choir of sixteen voices for the practice of
the Passion Music at his house. That led to the
public performance of the great neglected master-
work a year later ; and that to the " Bachgesell-
schaft" for the stately publication of all Bach's
works, not yet completed. The little choir warmed
to the heavenly music, and grew eager for its public
performance, under Felix's own care, by the three
to four hundred voices of the Singakademie, of
which Zelter was Director. Besides the intrinsic
difficulty of the music, there were two serious ob-
stacles : the opposition of Zelter, and the apathy of
the public. The first was overcome with the san-
guine aid of his friend Devrient, the actor, who with
him faced the lion in his den, and made him finally
consent. The second melted to enthusiasm before
the splendid success of the performance. Felix
conducted the rehearsals without notes, knowing

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

421

the music all by heart ; the leading opera singers
undertook the solos ; the public flocked to the re-
hearsals ; and on Wednesday, March 1 1, 1829, this
greatest choral work of the great old master com-
poser was introduced to the world for the first lime
since his death. A thousand people were turned
away from the doors. Said Felix : " It was an actor
and a Jew who restored this great Christian work to
the people." That was the dawn of the Bach cul-
ture, which steadily if slowly gains ground in these
our modem times.

In the midst of this excitement, his gifted, darling
sister Fanny became engaged to William Hensel,
the distinguished Berlin painter. Mendelssohn had
reached the age of twenty. Not on the best terms
with the musical world of Berlin, he yearned for
more congenial air and stimulus. To improve him-
self in art and general culture, and "to make
friends," he set out on his " grand tour." He ai-
rived in London (April ai), where he was wel-
comed by his friends Klingemann (then secretary
of legation there) and Moscheles. At the Philhar-
monic Concert, May 25, he conducted his C-minor
Symphony, old John Cramer leading him to the
piano, at which in those days, the conductor sat or
stood. The applause was immense, and the Scherzo
(which he had scored from his Octet, in place of
the Minuet and Trio) was persistently encored
against his wish. The London reception had
"wiped out the sneers and misunderstandings of
Berlin." Near the close of his life he spoke of it as
" having lifted a stone from his heart." Indeed,
the English, from that day to this, have been warm,
even to the extreme of partiality, in their enthu-
siasm for the man and for his music. He took part
in several other London concerts, was much petted
in aristocratic circles, and disported himself in so
many fashionable balls and gaieties, that the sober
family at home became alarmed for him.

From London to Scotland, where He called upon
Sir Walter, and stopped at the Hebrides, sending
thence in a glowing letter to Fanny the first motive
of the famous overture which he scored in Rome.
Returning to London in September, he was con-
fined to his room two months and could not go
home to his sister Fanny's wedding. In December
he found her with her artist husband installed in the
GarUnhaus as studio, together with the Devrienls.
These, indeed every member of the family took
part in the little comedy, Das Heimkehr aus der

Fremde ("The Son and Stranger"), which Felix
had composed for his parents' silver wedding. For
Hensel, utterly unmusical, he wrote a part upon
one note. That winter he composed his "Refor-
mation Symphony." A chair of Music was founded
expressly for him in the Berlin University, which
he knew himself too well to accept.

In May, 1830, the "grand tour " was resumed.
He reached Weimar on the 30th, spent a fortnight
of close intercourse with Goethe, leading what he
called a " heathenish life " ; then several very in-
teresting weeks in Munich. Then, through the
Salzkammergut, to Vienna, where he found Haydn,
Mozart and Beethoven ignored in favor of Hummel,
Field, and Kalkbrenner; and where he passed a
gay month with musicians, but managed to compose
some serious things.

Then came the leisurely, long stay in Italy, partic-
ularly Rome, of which his letters give such glowing
and minute accounts. There he lived a most genial

MENDELSSOHN'S SISTER.

and happy life, giving himself up completely to the
sunny scene and climate, to art, and fine churches (of
which he found the music dull), old ruins, and all

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

that was picturesque and characteristic in roba di
Roma of all sorts. He was six months in Rome ;
six weeks in Naples, finding there his old friend
Benedict, whom he first knew as Weber's pupil in
Berlin ; then Florence, Genoa, Milan, and the Ital-
ian Lakes. In Italy he composed the "Italian"
and "Scotch" Symphonies, the Walpurgisnacht
music, and many smaller things. And he filled
several drawing-books with sketches. Then, by
way of Switzerland, walking from Geneva to Inter-
lachen (all minutely, graphically chronicled in the
Letters), to Paris again, where he threw himself into
the musical and social "swim," But in spile of his
warm reception, and the presence of Hiller, Meyer-
beer, and many friends, he found the gay metropo-
lis no more to his taste than before, and was glad to
spend two months again in the " smoky nest " of
London, playing, composing, and publishing.

During a second stay in Munich he became "on
a brotherly footing " with the very musical family of

MENDELSSOHN'S V

the Baermanns. For Heinrich Baermann, one of
the finest of clarinet players, he, as well as Weber,
composed concert pieces. It is his grandson, Carl

Baermann, the admirable pianist, who now adds to
the musical prestige of Boston. There, too, he
brought out his G- minor Concerto (Oct. 17, 1831).
And there he was commissioned to compose an
opera, and went to Dtisseldorf to consult the poet
Immermann about a libretto with Shakespeare's
Tempest for a subject.

Early in 1S32, his great friends Goethe and Zel-
ter died. Mendelssohn seemed to be the man of
all others to succeed the latter at the Singakademie ;
but he lost the election. As a proofof his wise and
noble loyalty to art about this period, read what he
wrote to William Taubert from Lucerne ; " Don't
you agree with me, that the first condition for an
artist is, that he have respect for the great ones,
and do not try to blow out the great flames, in
order that the petty tallow candle may shine a little
brighter?"

In May, 1833, his success in conducting the
Lower Rhine Festival brought him an offer to take
general charge of the Music in DUsseldorf for three
years at an annual salary of six hundred thalers
(^450) ! But his father advised him to accept
duties before emoluments. There he brought out
operas by Mozart and Cherubini ; and in the church,
Palestrina, Bach, Handel, Keethoven: above all
Israel in Egypt. There he composed the greater
part of St. Paul, and his Mdusina Overture.
Socially DUsseldorf was a delightful place to him ;
but musically it was disappointing. In the spring
of 1835 he conducted the Cologne Festival.

Soon we find him settled (from 1835 to 1844,
and again from 1S45 to the end of his life) in the
most genial home sphere of his artistic labors, Leip-
sic, where he held the first conductor's piost in
Europe, at the head of the famous Gewanilhaus
Concerts. Hardly had he begun his notable career
there, when he was summoned to Berlin to the
death-bed of his father (Nov. ig, 1835). His
grief was profound ; for we have seen in what re-
spect and love he held him. He carried back to
Leipsic two fixed purposes : first, to finish Paulas,
then to seek a wife. The Oratorio, for which he
selected the words himself, had lain complete be-
fore him a year when it was first given at the Lower
Rhine Festival in 1836 with great enthusiasm. The
wife was found in Frankfurt am Main, It was
Cecile Jeanrenaud, the lovely seventeen -year-old
daughter of a deceased pastor of the Reformed
French Church there, who lived with her mother.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

net Souchay, a highly respected, rich, patrician
family of Frankfort. The happy honeymoon ran
over with fun and drollery in their joint diary full of
sketches.

In I^ipsic his hands were soon full of most con-
genial tasks : conducting the Messiah ; the Israel
in Egypl, with his own oi^an part ; his own Si. Paul;
besides a series of historical concerts ; and compos-
ing his Forty-Second Psalm, E-minor string Quartet,
the D-minor piano Concerto, the three organ Pre-
ludes and Fugues, etc. And is it not worth notice,
by the way, that here Mendelssohn commonly
shines as the best of programme-makers? Indeed,
he seems to have been the first in whom that func-
tion rose to the dignity of an art, when he was not
balked by others. Certainly the concerts, ("aca-
demies") which Mozart and Beethoven gave mostly
in noble houses, to make their new works heard,
offered no models of good programme -making, con-
taining often far too much of a good thing, say three
great Beethoven Symphonies, with much other mat-
ter, in a single evening ! The democratic age of
concert- giving had not yet come in.

In all this he was strong and happy in the sympa-
thetic companionship of his young wife, though
of^n torn from her to fulfil engagements at the
Birmingham Festival and elsewhere. Thenceforth
for several years he gave his heart and soul to Leip-
sic, chiefly to the Gewandhaus concerts ; he worked
with enthusiasm, and was rewarded by the en-
thusiasm he created.

In June, 1838, he conducted the Cologne Festival,
and we have a cogent letter in which he induced
the committee to include "at least one important
vocal work of Bach " (a Church Cantata) in the
programme, besides pieces from Handel's Joshua.
The summer was spent in the dear garden-house at
Berlin ; and that was the young wife's first introduc-
tion to her husband's family. He kept on com-
posing noble things ; among them the Violin
Concerto and a Psalm for eight voices: "When
Israel," etc. And he fell just short of giving the
world another Symphony (in B flat). The great
event of the next Gewandhaus season was the first
performance, at the last concert (March 22, 1839),
of the great Schubert Symphony in C. It was played
from the MS., which had been found in Vienna by
Schumann.

It would require a volume to detail the pro-
grammes of those ten or eleven years of" Gewand-

haus concerts under his direction, — to say nothing
of great musical enterprises outside of all that. In
December, 1842, his mother died, and then the

WILLIAM HENSEL.

Berlin house was his. Vet he lived for the most
part in Leipsic, aiding as a professor, with David,
Hanptmann, Schumann and the like, in the carrying
out of his pet scheme of a Conservatorium of Music.
Since 1838 Elijah had been in his mind as the
subject of an oratorio. It was finished for the
Birmingham Festival of 1846. He was on hand
there to conduct it, all the world knows with what
success. Vet his own fastidious taste saw much in
it to alter and polish, and he returned to England
for the tenth and last time to conduct it in the re-
vised edition, so to speak.

Meanwhile, near the end of 1840, he was pre-
vailed on to accept a year's engagement at Berlin,
and lend his labor and his genius to certain high
artistic schemes of king Frederick William IV.
Taking leave of Leipsic with a performance of
Bach's St. Matthew Passion Music, he became
Kapellmeister to the King. The first fruit of that
was his noble music to the Antigone, and afterwardj

424

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the CEdipui Coloneus of Sophocles j and in another
vein, the Athalie of Racine. It was also by the
king's request that he wrote the Midsummer Night' s
Dream music, into which the
early overture fitted as if pre-
ordained, and his both beau-
tiful and wildly melodramatic
setting of Goethe's IVaipur-
gisnachl. Not far from the
same time he was moved to
make an overture, more dra-
matic than any of his early
ones, to Ruy Bias.

On his last return from En-
gland a shadow came over
that serene and happy life.
He met the sudden news of
his sister Fanny's death, and
with a cry fell unconscious to
the ground. He sought re-
lief and rest in Switzerland
that summer, painting in
water-colors, and playing the

organ all alone in a little vil- menoelseomm on hjs

lage church — what a touch- From in EogMih tni

ing picture his letters give of

it 1 His own hour was near at hand. A trouble
in his head grew worse. He died in the evening
of Thursday, Nov. 4, 1847. He was mourned by
all Europe. In Leipsic it
was as if the most beloved
and honored, the soul and
centre of all their higher life
and aspiration, were with-
drawn- Meraorial concerts
were oi^anized in London,
Manchester and Birmingham,
even in Paris. To this day
among English music-lovers
Mendelssohn has been a name
to conjure by, adopted as
their own like Handel. Men-
delssohn scholarships, busts,
statues, became frequent. And
a commission was appointed
to publish selections from the
mass of works he left in
manuscript ; nor could they
keep pace with the impatient,
D. almost angry outcry (at least

in England) for every scrap
of manuscript withheld.

Mendelssohn stands as the best modern represen-
tative of sound, many-sided, conservative, and yet
progressive musical culture. He was artist to the
marrow. Gifted with original creative genius — a
genius not so deep and absolute, so elemental, so
Titanic as that of Bach and Hiindel and Beethoven,
nor of so celestial temjwr as that of Mozart ; —
trained to consummate musicianship through earn-
est study and personal absorption of the world's
great musical inheritance; compelling himself to
daily exercise of his own productive faculty, he
summed up in himself the rounded whole of musi-
cal art down to his own time. He was the ripe
musical scholar. Haunted by original and beauti-
ful ideas, he resisted all extravagant solicitations of
the ambitious passion for sensation- making novelty.
He kept within bounds of reason and good tasie ;
he respected "Terminus, the god of bounds."
Standing at the height of the musical culture of his
age, he won all his triumphs without setting up new

theories, new forms of art, without resorting to
questionable ways. He was nothing if not sincere,
frank, simple in his art. Within the approved
forms and principles of Bach, Mozart, and Bee-
thoven, he found free air and scope for the expres-
sion of what was in him. He never dreamed of
questioning the validity of absolute, pure music, —
music in itself, without words or programme. On
the contrary, he maintained that music is a language
far more definite and less ambiguous than speech ;
that speech is the gainer by translation into music,
but that music is the loser by any attempt to trans-
late or " interpret" it in words.

Of his complete musicianship there is no ques-
tion. As a performing artist, an interpreter, he
was a masterly pianist. We do not measure him
by the phenomenal virtuosity of the Liszts, von
Btilows, Rubinsteins, and Tausigs, who came after
him. Such comparison would be irrelevant ; he
was not of their kind ; not primarily a virtuoso, but

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Fac-iimilo autograph Istlar from Mendelssohn containing collections of a four-hand arrangement of one of his symphonies.

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Fac-slmllo autograph manuscript of N

in's most popular song fo( inal« voices, " Farewell to the Forest,"

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

427

essentially an artist and interpreter. In that sense
his playing was remarkable ; fluent, brilliant, vital,
full of fire and feeling ; his touch sensitive, decided,
strong or delicate as the phrase required \ his tech-
nique free and faultless; its perfection seemed to
be spontaneous. Hiller said his playing was what
flying is to a bird. Mme. Schumann said : ''Of
mere effects of performance he knew nothing; he
was always the great musician ; in hearing him one
forgets the player in the full enjoyment of the
music." Joachim say3 : " His playing was full of
fire, which could scarce be controlled, and yet was
controlled and combined with the greatest delicacy."
His adherence to strict time and to his author's
meaning is said to hav^ been absolute. He had a
rare faculty of playing at sight from a MS. orchestral
score, characterizing each instrument by a peculiar
quality of tone. He rarely played from book,
trusting to his prodigious memory. His improvisa-
tions astonished all ; they were no vague, random
excursions over the keyboard, all digression, with
which so many flashy finger-knights dazzle their au-
diences ; they were consistent, well-planned compo-
sitions, in which the themes were not merely
touched and set in shifting lights, but were contra-
puntally worked and carried out ; thematic develop-
ment was with him a second nature. This was
partly owing to his early practice in counterpoint
under Zelter.

He deeply loved the organ, and was one of the
most masterly organ players and composers of his
time. For intrinsic worth and beauty his Organ
Sonatas rank only next to Bach and Handel.

For conductorship he showed a passion and a
gift from boyhood, when he improvised little private
concerts in his father's house. Older musicians
did not disdain to play under his baton. Charming
pictures are given by his biographers of the over-
tures and symphonies, as well as his own juvenile
operas, performed there under his enthusiastic lead.
Later he became one of the first conductors living,
whether in symphony or oratorio. He had the
magnetic quality; all the grace and flexibility of
his attractive person, the electric eloquence of look
and gesture, made each point of the music felt by
performers and hearers. The former never could
mistake his meaning, which was the meaning of
the music. We have heard it said by those who
knew him, that in the rendering of orchestral music,
even movements of his own, he was subject to his

moods, would take the same movement at one
time much quicker, with more fire than at others ;
but it was all genuine, all loyal ; there was a reason
for it, and the essential music never suffered from
this elasticity.

His seemingly instinctive and spontaneous com-
mand of counterpoint, already seen in his improvis-
ation, is manifest in his organ music, in his psalms
and oratorios, in his fugues as such, in the clear,
symmetrical development of his orchestral and
chamber works, in fact in all his compositions of
whatever form. He was happily at home in this
soul secret of the plastic tone-art. For the truth is,
he was musically, spiritually, a true child of Sebastian
Bach : who more fit than he to be the first expo-
nent to our century of the long-shelved Matthew
Passion of that mighty master? Through Mendels-
sohn has Bach gained a foothold in the more mod-
em world of music.

His instrumentation is a model in its way, neither
too much nor too little. Never dry and meagre, it
is never bloated and excessive, weighed down to
monotony by superfluous multitude of heavy instru-
ments, which give each other scarcely room to vi-
brate freely, like so much in the " advanced " instru-
mentation of to-day. It is never extravagant, bent
on sensational surprises and effects, if sometimes
droll for cause. It is chaste, simple, clear, while it
is vivid, graphic, and expressive. There is no false,
exaggerated coloring, only just what suits the sub-
ject. Now it is airy, delicate, and fairylike ; now
bold, majestic, or sublime; now fraught with
changing atmospheric quality, as in the " Rain "
chorus in Elijah^ in the Hebrides overture, and the
Becalmed at Sea and Prosperous Voyage, now light-
hearted and elastic, as in the " Italian " Symphony
and the youthful overture to the Return from Abroad,
If he does not touch the spiritual depths, nor strike
with the lightning suddenness and fire of Beethoven,
it is because he is himself, not Beethoven. But
alike in his purely instrumental and his choral works,
his instrumentation is always interesting, always
clear and telling, and in keeping with the whole,
always original, poetic, full of life and power.

We might discourse upon his mastery of Form.
Enough to say, that with him all is in " good form,"
yet not formal, at least to a fault.

So much of his musicianship, his technical equip-
ment, of what might be learned from masters. In
him it all ministered to a creative genius of an orig-

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

inal, rare order, as we shall see in a slight, cursory
survey of his productions.

We begin with the Midsummer Night's Dream
Overture, in which the lad of sixteen sprang into fame
a masterly composer. Welt had he read his Shakes-
peare, — the bard who fascinates the heart and soul
of childhood before any child can be supposed to
understand him ! What a felicitous reproduction of

MENDELSSOHN IN HIS TWELFTH YEAR.'

the fairy element in tones ! The perfect fairy over-
ture, it is still heard with delight by old and young,
and ever will be, it is so fresh, spontaneous, genu-
ine, such an honest emanation from the enthusiastic
heart and imagination of the boy composer. The
other movements now commonly sung and played
with the drama were the afterthought of Mendels-
sohn's riper period, when he was thirty-four years
old. Schumann says : " His music is a meditation
on the play, a bridge between Bottom and Oberon,
without which the passage into Fairy Land is almost
impossible." The same fairy vein, the same dainty
elfin motives, or some of the same family, are met

* AC this age he had written
third, — six symphonies, a t]
ntau, sin fugues [or the piatu
it a double fugue, and niany

■0 operas and almost compteted
irlet for piano and string', a
a psalm (or four or five voices
inoT pieces.- K.K.

in many of the earlier and later works of Felix.
That vein haunted him ; it was a lucky string to
play upon. Ballad movements, Canzonettas, Volki-
Ueder, and the like quaint melodies, abound as well.
The Overture is numbered Op. 21. Sketched or
completed about the same time were the Octet, Op.
30, the first set of the Songs without Words, and
the first Quintet, in A ; all works of ripe and
finished art of a clearly asserted, pronounced indi-
viduality. These mark the culmination of his
youthful period.

His early piano efforts are in many forms, mostly
with strings. He wrote three Sonatas for piano
solo, but soon ceased to cultivate that field (in face
of Beethoven ?) . But he had already opened a new
and original field for himself, albeit a less ambitious
one, in the Songs without Words, a field to which
he returned con amore from time to time until late
in his short life. One is tempted to describe some
of these choice little tone-poems, were there room ;
at least the three Gondola Songs. Had he been
reading Shelley :

" My soul is BD enchanted boat,
Which like a sleeping swui dolh Boat
Upon the silver tvaves of thy sweet singing."

These perhaps express the daintiest, most ex-
quisite of the many moods and themes poetic, sen-
timental, picturesque, or wideawake and Stirling or
heroic, in these eight and forty wordless songs.
Perhaps the last two sets have not quite the verve
of the earlier and more spontaneous numbers. But
think of the Volkslied, the hunting and the martial
strains, the deeper meditations, the Duet, above all
the exhilarating " Spring Song " in A 1 In these, if
in nothing else, he opened a new field in musical
art, in which many followed him, but none ap-
proached him. These Lieder ohne Worte are of his
most genuine, most individual inspirations. There
is hardly a characteristic trait of the composer's
style, as developed in his larger works, which you
do not find here clearly announced and pronounced
in these perfect little miniatures. In them we have
the whole of Mendelssohn, — we mean of the innate,
the essential, not the acquired music of the man.
If to some they have come to look commonplace,
it is their own radiance that veils them.

Of his many other piano compositions, the most
important are the Six Preludes and Fugues, Op. 35 >
another in E minor, full of fire and strength, his
contribution to the Album " Notre Temps " ; and

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

429

the Variations Scrieuses, All the great composers,
notably Beethoven, were fond of writing variations.
Those of Mendelssohn are full of character, and
often figure to advantage in the artistic programmes
of pianists. For the piano with strings, the two
Trios are the most interesting, and still challenge
the chamber-concert givers. The two Sonatas with
'Cello also hold their o\ra.

He loved to employ the piano with orchestra.
The brilliant Capriccio in B minor, and the Rondo
in E flat, swift as an arrow and going as straight to
the mark, are concert favorites ; still more the Sere-
nade and Allegro Giojoso, full of life and charm. But
most important, masterworks indeed, are the two
Concertos. That in G minor, by the very fascina-
tion of its beauty, and by being such a model in
form, so clear and pure throughout, has been prac-
tised so much in conservatories, and played at the
d^but of so many callow virtuosos, that a shade of
commonplace has settled over it. The other, in D
minor, keeps itself more select, so that for the more
exacting taste it is publicly too seldom played.

And, speaking of Concertos, we must not forget
the one for the violin, which surely ranks only after
that by Beethoven, and is attempted by all the
violinists. Its charm is never failing. The fine in-
tensity of the impassioned Allegro has something
feminine and far reaching in its quality, so that it
was a rare pleasure to hear it interpreted by such
an artist as Camilla Urso, with such true nervous
grasp and accent. The middle movement seemed
divine ; and the finale, heralded by the brass ^, is so
uncontainable and full of fire, so brilliant and im-
petuous, that it admits of being taken at the most
rapid tempo. It is perhaps the most popular of all
violin concertos.

All the great masters have written string quartets.
The Quartet for two violins, viola and 'cello, corres-
ponding to the four essential parts in harmony, each
maintaining its individuality, yet each essential to
the whole, is the quintessence of musical expression.
Any imperfection betrays itself inevitably ; all is ex-
posed ; there is nothing hidden under an orchestral
coloring or vague passages of mere effect. The
four voices are four persons. Not to speak of
Haydn, father and founder of the race, the greatest
models are those of Mozart and Beethoven. Those
of Beethoven often seem like foreshadowings in out-
line of later phases in his larger grand creations.
Those of Mendelssohn are less purely quartet-like.

They have more of a singing quality, — a melody
with an accompaniment, — and seem to seek or-
chestral development. The early one in E flat is
of highly impassioned character, and might be dis-
tinguished as the Quartet Pathetique. It has a pa-
thetic introductory Adagio^ followed by a passionate
Allegro ; then a Canzonetfa, a quaint minor strain
in the spirit of some sad old Volkslied or Ballad ;
then an Andante of profoundest melancholy ; then
a bold finale, in 12-8, running in very rapid trip-
lets. The three Quartets of Op. 44 are in a riper
style. But the first begins with a swift and fiery
Allegro, of which the theme is strikingly symphonic,
and which has been well said to be not quartet-
writing at all, but a melody with a bass and a mere
filling-in of middle parts; not a conversation be-
tween four distinct individualities. The Mendels-
sohnian ardor, depth of feeling, yearning aspiration,
with all his grace, facility, and clearness, pervade
these quartets ; but more perfect as quartets are his
part-songs for mixed and for male voices. His last
quartet, in F minor, written just after the death of
his beloved sister Fanny, so soon before his own, has
spontaneous unity in all its movements. It is said
to have been written in forty-eight hours, in one
close closeting with grief.

Of the two Quintets, that in A, of the juvenile
period, is fresh, bright, full of life and charm, hav-
ing a lovely Andante Intermezzo, and an elfin
Scherzo. The much later one, in B flat, by the
irrepressible and soaring impetus of its Allegro
vivace, — challenge bravely answered in iki^ finale, —
by the sad ballad-like Andante scherzando in D
minor; and by its profoundly, grandly beautiful
Adagio, is perhaps more popular and always wel-
comed with sincere delight.

There remains the Octet, written just before the
Midsummer Night's Dream. It is not a double
quartet, two quartets reinforcing or offsetting one
another ; but it is a conference of eight real parts,
eight individualities. The ensemble, especially the
fiery opening Allegro, has the richness and fullness
of an organ's diapasons, and naturally abounds in
contrapuntal imitation to keep eight such parts em-
ployed. It is laid out on the broad scale of a sym-
phony, with great contrast between its several move-
ments, especially between the airy-light, crisp
staccato of its Scherzo (forerunner of the fairy over-
ture) and the grand sweep and rush, like a freshet,
of the Presto finale. The work bears performance

430

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

by all the strings of an orchestra, and is not seldom
so presented.

We come now to his poetic, fascinating Concert
Overtures, already ushered in by Shakespeare's
fairy wand. Three of these date shortly after the
Midsummer Night's Dream. The finest of them is
the first, scored in Rome a year or two after his
visit to the Hebrides, the outgrowth of an attempt
to convey to his sister Fanny, in a piano sketch, his
impressions of the " lonely island." The overture
is often called " F ingal's Cave." It does not deal
in literal description. It is not realistic. It is the
feeling of the scene, subjectively conceived. The
leading theme (B minor) suggests the dreamy reverie
of one leaning over the water, absorbed in its com-
mingling, fluctuating, mystic ebb and flow. The
same poetic spirit sang the Gondellieder, In the
strong answering motive you feel the wild force of
the waves dashing on the rock-bound shores ; loud
calls give the sense of distance ; you hear cries of
sea-birds ; while all bespeaks the watery atmosphere,
the solemn silence and the mystic solitude of ocean.

Then came MeeresstiUe und Giiickiiche Fahrt, —
a reproduction as Overture of two sea-pictures from
two little poems of Goethe ; the first conveying the
sensation of a dead calm at sea ; then the rising of
a breeze, the boatswain's whistle, the setting of sails
and swinging round of the huge, heavy hulk, the
addressing itself to motion, making smooth, gallant
headway (with ever and anon great, deep, mysteri-
ous sighs !) and entering port amid a triumphal
blaze of trumpets. It is a wonderfully graphic and
imaginative reproduction of the subjects. The in-
strumentation is as telling and artistic as the thematic
working. The introduction of the piccolo and of
the deep serpent and contrafagotto conveys a sense
of illimitable height and depth.

The third, to " the Fair Melusina," Felix tells his
sister, he wrote for an opera of Conradin Kreutzer's,
based on Tieck's Mdhrchetiy which he saw at a
theatre. He disliked Kreutzer's music, especially
the Overture, which was encored, and he resolved
to write another "which the people might not encore,
but which would cause them more solid pleasure."
It is romantic music in the fullest sense. In the two
contrasted themes, — the first (in F) watery, cool
and rippling, tempting one beneath the waves, — the
other (F minor) chivalric, heroic, proud, impatient,
— he clearly had in view the princess Melusina
(supposed to be a mermaid in the hours denied to her

lord), and the brave knight who weds her. Schu-
mann says it revives " those fables of the life deep
down beneath the watery abyss." How bright and
beautiful the mingling colors of the instruments !
With what fine contrapuntal unity in variety the
imitation and development proceeds !

More to the humor of to-day, perhaps, is his
much later powerfully dramatic Overture to Ruy
Bias, It is exciting, with bold contrasts, fraught
with impending tragic crises, clear, strong, concise,
and very effectively instrumented. Not so great as
Beethoven's Coriolanus overture, it is his nearest
approach to that, and shows that Mendelssohn was
capable of something more impassioned, concen-
trated, fateful, than dreams of fairyland, breathings
of sentiment and reproductions of romance.

Now for his Symphonies. First, his greatest, in
A minor, which is supposed to owe its inspiration to
his recollections of Scotland. In its wild, tender,
melancholy melody and coloring, its romantic,
breezy, sea-shore character, it has affinity with the
Hebrides overture. How deep and tender the in-
troductory Andante con Moto^ 3-4 ! And how
charmingly the kindred Allegro melody, (>-%, sets
out from it and runs so smoothly and so rapidly,
most of the way in octaves between the first violins
and low clarinet tones ! How it winds in and out
among the instruments, now quiet and individual,
now borne along upon the swelling, roaring tide of
the whole orchestra ! How it keeps its sweet, sad,
minor mood, relieved only by one little bit of sun-
shiny major ! Then, after the repeat, what wild,
strange, sea-shore modulations, the cool, mysterious
thrill of ocean and the Infinite ! And when again
those shuddering modulations cross the smooth
mirror, the excitement swells to a furious climax,
and all the strings rush up and down the chromatic
scale with a tremendous vehemence ; and it all dies
down again, till only flutes and reeds are left
streaming in the air, sliding leisurely down tone by
tone, and leading back to the Andante, Compare
this exciting climax with one correspondingly
placed in the seventh symphony of Beethoven ; if
it has not that Promethean fire that could defy
Olympus, is it feeble in comparison?

In the Scherzo the scene shifts to sunny playful-
ness. Vividly the laughing theme leaps out from
voice after voice ; the instruments seem to speak,
as Schumann says, like men. What hurrying, hud-
dling gleesomeness in the accompaniments, like the

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

43 «

tiny waves that crowd up round the spot where the
fountain's cotumn falls ! In hushed staccato the
strings whisper a new motive, which is taken up by
all and developed, with fragments of the laughing
theme ; and there seems to be a pointed allusion,
fond and playfiil, to a characteristic of Scotch mel-
ody, in that emphatic mocking of the cadence of a
minor third ! It floats sportively away, in the vio-
lins, against a skyey background of oboe and horn
tones, charming the soul away with it in pleased
forgetful ness, when with a sudden revulsion of con-
sciousness we are in the minor chord of D (like a
great sob, escaping involuntarily), leading with sol-
emn, stately measure and a sound of warning into
the Adagio in A, 2-4, a most lovely, deep and ten-
der movement, in which the orchestra seems to sing
a Psalm of Life, , , . Upon this bursts, like a
flash of sunshine over the sombre water, the Vivacis-
simo, a most dashing, brilliant theme, pausing anon
to let a more pensive melody of reeds be heard ;
but with rough, impatient vehemence the basses
break off the episode, and the bacchic frenzy of
the movement storms itself away again, until its
force is spent, and the quiet naive little reed theme
gets another chance and runs fondling and chatting
along in duet between bassoon and oboe, and the
strain sinks to sleep as in the fairy overture. The
short finale, in A major, is in kindred melody and
rhythm with the first Allegro, but with a bold and
swaggering carelessness of movement, as of a party
breaking up and marching off from a glorious ca-
rouse, to the tune (at least its spirit) of "We won't go
home till morning ! "

After the immortal nine of Beethoven, there is
no Symphony mare perfect in form than this, of
charm more enduring, although we have the great
one of the " heavenly length " in C by Schubert, and
such noble ones by Schumann. But Mendelssohn
has the advantage over Schumann in point of instra-
mentation and of general clearness (the importance
of clearness was a mooted point between the two
friends and mutual admirers).

Even more enjoyable in some respects is the
" Italian " Symphony in A. It was written earlier
than the so-called third, the "Scotch," and is com-
monly numbered the fourth. Both were well ad-
vanced before he left Rome. Its movements are
finely contrasted. After the fresh, sunshiny, buoy-
ant Allegro, calling up the blue, blue sky and
boundless green of Italy, — brought out all the

more vividly by the pensive Mendel ssohnian sub-
jectivity of the low-running staccato of the violins
which sets in right after the announcement of the
bright first theme, ^ how impressive is the sombre,
solemn, antique-sounding, steady chant of reeds in
the Andante, with the soft, warm gush of mingling
Hutes above ! It is like passing from Italian noon-
day into the rich gloom of some old church. The

MENDELSSOHN.

tranquil, blissfiil melody of the Minuet flows on in
limpid, peaceful beauty ; and the mellow horn Trio
makes a delicious episode. In the Saltarello we
feel ihe rush and whirl of Carnival, not without a
dash of Mendelssohn! an melancholy. The passage
from that into the yet wilder Tarantella, with its
whirling triplets, indicates the very abandon and de-
lirium of excitement, whereas the former, by the hitch
in the alternate triplet, denotes a dance in which the
dancer still keeps some control upon himself.

The "Reformation Symphony" (No, 5) dales
back almost to his juvenile period. It was written
at the age of twenty-two. With the exception of
one bright gem, the Scliemo, it seems to labor under
the proverbial fatality of occasional works. As a

432

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Symphony it is exceptional in form, consisting really
of only two parts, with a refreshing interlude be-
tween. The first part, in which the idea of the
Old, the frowning Catholic faith, predominates, in-
cludes the Allegro with its short Andante prelude.
The second part, the triumph of the New, with its
curious variations on the Lutheran Choral, *^ Ein^
feste Burgy^ has likewise its short Andante prelude,
whose rather feeble prayer for peace it answers.
Suppose a curtain dropped between the two parts,
while for interlude and recreation we are vouchsafed
that happy Scherzo. — But it is hardly fair to count
this early effort into his symphonic period, any more
than the Symphony " No. i," in C minor, which
bears date 1824.

From Symphony to Oratorio we have a noble
bridge in the Symphony-Cantata ** Lot?gcsang'' or
" Hymn of Praise." It is of later date, to be sure,
than the oratorio St. Pauly and was composed to cel-
ebrate the invention of the art of printing, and to
lend eclat to the inauguration of the statue of Gut-
tenberg, at Leipsic, June 25, 1840. Many regard
it as the most felicitous and most inspiring of his
larger works, although prompted by an "occasion" !
Praise and gratitude to God for Light ; the waiting
and longing for it through the long darkness of the
middle ages ; then the break of day ; the free ca-
reer and joy of a redeemed humanity ; and first and
last and everywhere the Praise of God : such were
the themes and promptings of Mendelssohn's heart
and genius when he composed the Lobgesang. The
three orchestral movements which prepare the
chorus are essentially symphonic. From the first
trombone proclamation of the pregnant choral mo-
tive, through the rapidly unfolding, fiery, complex
Allegro ; through the sweet, sad (almost over-sweet)
tune (as of "the heart musing, while the fire
burns," yet with a slight flutter) of the middle
movement. Allegretto^ and its alternations with the
cheery, choral-like full chords of the wind ; to the
last deep-drawn sigh of the rich, soulful Adagio^ it is
pure symphony, all leading up to the superb out-
burst of the irrepressible chorus of Praise. Thence-
forth we breathe the mountain air of oratorio. The
work is too familiar to require description. Enough
to note the innate strong dramatic tendency of
Mendelssohn, as shown in the middle point and
climax of the work, the thrilling scene beginning
with the anxious Tenor recitative ; " Watchman,
will the night soon pass?" with fitful, wild accom-

paniment ; the startling Soprano answer : " The
night is departing," flooding all with instant light j
and then the blazing outburst of full chorus, taking
up the words in an exciting fugue. — It is surely an
inspired, a master-work, both instrumentally and
vocally.

Of his two great Oratorios proper, — the greatest
certainly since Handel, — the one most esteemed
among musicians is the earliest, St. Pauly produced
in 1836. It shows the influence of Bach through-
out, in the frequency of narrative recitative ; in the
use made of the Lutheran Choral ; in the introduc-
tion of turbulent Jewish people's choruses {turbae) ;
and in a generally dramatic conception and shaping
of the whole. It stands between a Bach Passion^
and the more epical Handel Oratorio. Depth of
religious feeling and great dignity of style pervade
the entire composition. The music is contrapuntal,
never dry and pedantic. The overture is of quite a
different character from his concert overtures ; it is
a solemn, contrapuntal, sacred prelude, with the old-
school profiindity, yet genial and interesting enough
to serve as a good concert piece by itself. The
orchestral resources throughout are careftilly hus-
banded, after the way of Mendelssohn, to the great
gain of true and clear effect, affording room for
great variety of coloring. He relies on the intrinsic
strength of his ideas, rather than on a noisy over-
fulness of instrumentation.

The choruses range from grand, uplifting ones to
others very lovely and tender ; others mob-like and
vindictive, like " Stone him to death " ; again others
of a vivid local coloring, like those in which the
Gentile crowd worship Paul and Barnabas, " O be
gracious, ye Immortals," etc., full of light-hearted,
sensuous Greek adoration, of " oxen and garlands "
and ear-tickling flutes. The arias are characteristic,
heart-felt, deeply pious melodies. St. Paul is the
oratorio which is most sure to gain, at every hearing,
on a serious and truly music-loving listener.

Elijah, most popular of oratorios (after the Mes-
siah), and most familiar, requires even less comment.
Description or analysis would bore. The subject
began to occupy his mind in 1838. It was finished
for the Birmingham Festival of 1846, where, him-
self conducting, it was received with utmost enthu-
siasm. Yet it did not satisfy himself, and he at
once set about revising and polishing. This was
but a year before his death. When he returned to
England for the last time to conduct it, the Prince

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

433

Consort addressed him as another Elijah "faithful
to the worship of true Art, though surrounded by
the idolators of Baal." In greatness and variety of
poetic and imaginative design, in wealth of musical
ideas, in ripeness of consummate musicianship, in
sure calculation of efTects, it is a full expression of
the composer's genius. It abounds in numbers
which captivate alike refined and simple listeners.
It betrays the dramatic element in the opening pic-
ture of the drought relieved and culminating in the
wonderful " Rain " chorus ; in the episode of the
Widow who has lost her
son; in the scene be
tween the Prophet and the
wicked Queen; in the
Baal choruses, secular,
impatient, boastful, impo-
tently clamoring for mira-
cle; in the sweet solilo-
quy and medication of
Elijah in the wilderness ;
in his ascension in the
fiery chariot; and more
or less in all the great
choruses, all very graphic.
Then what lovely restful
choruses, like " He watch-
ing over Israel," followed
by the perfect Angel Trio :
"Lift thine eyes"! And
arias full of meaning and
of exhortation, like the
soprano "Hear ye, Isra-
el," in composing which,

beginning with the high Rtpfoduwd trom Frontiipi^c

F sharp, his mind was " "*"' " '" '"" "'

haunted by that note as
he had heard it in the voice of Jenny Lind I

Judging from the few fragments published, his
unfinished oratorio Christus would have been his
greatest sacred composition. From the first part,
the Birth of Christ, we have the Trio of the Magi,
teeming with wonder and anticipation ; then the
chorus ; "There shall a star come forth," which has
a sweet, pure, star-like beauty, ending with the
choral; " Wie sch'dn letichlct der Afoi-genstern/"
From the second part, or Passion, the tenor narra-
tives, the accusing choruses before Pilate, terribly
dramatic, especially the multitudinous echoes of
" Crucify him," and the inexorable pronunciamento ;

" We have a sacred Law," bring him into still cbsei
affinity with Bach ; and even more so the exquisitely
plaintive weeping chorus at the end-
Much might be said of his one Catholic work, the
Lauda Sion, composed in 1846 for the feast of
Corpus Christi at Lifege, very beautiful in spite of
the dry dogmatic Latin text, strange text for him !
Much, too, of the three Motets for female voices ;
of the Hymn : " Hear my Prayer," with its soaring,
bird-like soprano solo : " O for the winga of a
dove 1 " of his masculine, strong settings of eight or
ten of the Psalms, mostly
for chorus with orchestra,
with their Old Testament
flavor ; and of numerous
smaller sacred composi-
tions.

Of course so sensitive
a nature, subject to many
moods, quick to take im-
pressions and to turn them
into music, was prolific in
songs with piano accom-
paniment. From his ear-
liest composing days, at
intervals throughout his
life, he produced sets of
Lieder and duets, to the
number of ninety or more.
They are all musical, re-
fined, full of feeling, some
of them strikingly origi-
nal; but before the few
great ones of Beethoven,
to E. Doiiirft "MrRicoi- the numberless songs of

icuipto,-, «m. nM ,i,«. Schubert, those of Schu-

mann, and above all Rob-
ert Franz, they retreat into the shade. Yet they
have been favorites in musical homes and concert
rooms, especially in England, where they introduced
the love of German song, tempting many feeble imi-
tators, while awakening there some worthier re-
sponses from the kindred spirit, Stemdale Bennett.
More truly original, with more marrow in them,
and more of the enduring quality, are his four-part
songs, both for mixed and for male voices. These
have been the staple and the best material on which
the Liedertafeln all over Germany, and the part-song
clubs of England and America have built After
more pretentious, ingenious, sensational part-songs

434

FAMOUS COAf POSERS

of later origin, it is always refreshing to hear one of
them ; for they are sincere music, thoroughly artis-
tic, with heart and soul and poetry in them. With
them we may mention several larger pieces for male
chorus, such as he composed to Schiller's Ode " To
the Artists," with accompaniment of brass. The
exhortation of the music is worthy of the poem ;
male choirs feel well when they lift their voices in a
strain so manly and so edifying.

We come now to a lofty form of choral and or-
chestral music, which we owe to Mendelssohn. In
setting two of the Greek tragedies of Sophocles he
had no old Greek music for a model. The spirit of
the dramas lay in the text of Sophocles. He had
read the Antigone in the Greek, and so far got his
inspiration at first hand. He took the suggestion
from Frederic William IV., King of Prussia, during
a summer residence in Berlin in 1841. The pecu-
liar function of the Chorus in the Greek tragedies,
as a mediator between the actors and the audience,
commenting in some sort of rhythmical chant upon
what was passing on the stage, and the sublimity of
some of those choruses, make us feel that there
could not have been a tnier artistic idea than that
of setting them to music, realizing and carrying out
their vague embryonic musical aspiration as it could
only be realized in these modern times after music
had become an art. Mendelssohn's inspiration
seems to have sprung congenially from that of
Sophocles ; and this music is of the freshest, manliest,
most original and vigorous that he has left.

Antigone was the first experiment. He composed
it in eleven days : — Overtures, single and double
choruses for male voices, with full orchestral accom-
paniment for all that are lyrical in subject; melo-
dramatic bits, as where Antigone descends into the
vault ; and chords here and there making expressive
background to the spoken verse. The piece was first
played on the royal stage at Potsdam ; and after-
wards on the King's birthday before a select audi-
ence, the venerable Tieck presiding. When it was
given at Leipsic, a meeting of "learned Thebans "
signed an address to Mendelssohn, thanking him
" for substantially reviving an interest in the Greek
tragedy." The music has since made its mark
everywhere, whether given on the stage with action,
or only sung and played in concert rooms, — at
Athens in the original Greek. Nobler men's cho-
ruses are n(*ver heard than that rich, sweet, pensive
moralizing one which sings of man's wondrous fac-

ulties and limitations ; or that superb hymn to " Bac-
chus" (double chorus), — as full of pomp and
splendor as the Wedding March, — in which the
composer gave free rein to his enthusiasm ; or the
opening invocation to " Helios."

Oedipus at Colonos he composed at Frankfort in
1 844, about the time when he began to finish Elijah^
and write the Violin Concerto and the music to Ath-
aliah, A favorite with the men's Choral clubs is
the chorus which recounts the beauties of Colonos
and the glories of Athens. The music is wonder-
fully faithful to the ever kindling enthusiasm of the
words.

The Mendelssohn Greek choruses are far beyond
and above the ordinary part-song, which is a much
smaller, humbler affair, — simply, as its name de-
notes, a song^ harmonized in four parts. But these
are themes worked up, for single and double choir,
with as complete art as the choruses in great ora-
torios, only avoiding the Fugue form, which is
Gothic, Christian, suggestive of the Infinite, not
Greek.

Racine's Athalie^ often called his greatest drama,
is constructed after the old Greek model, with
choruses similarly employed. Mendelssohn's music
for it, compared with St, Paul and Elijah^ the Lob-
gesang, or the Greek plays, must to many seem
monotonous, in some parts dry and tame. The
musical work, bound by the text, lacks climax. Yet
there is much beautiful and some majestic, splendid
music in it. Has it a Jewish, as its congeners a
Greek flavor? The overture is very noble, with the
two parts finely contrasted.

During the last years of his life the dramatic ten-
dency in Mendelssohn, which we have traced all
along through so many of his works in many forms,
from his child operettas in his father's house to the
IValpurgis Night, grew upon him with an irresistible
momentum. His deep interest in Jenny Lind
(Goldschmidt), who was his ideal of a singer, and
to whom he became a most devoted friend, led him
as the last musical problem of his life to write an
opera for her in which she was to take the principal
role in Ix)ndon. That was Die Lorelei^ a theme as
legendary and romantic, while more poetic and more
inviting to music, than the monster Norse mytholog>'.
The composition was cut short by his early death.
The fragments which he left of the unfinished work
are of such rare excellence, that one wonders what
might have been, had that ideal been achieved !

FELIX MENDELSSOHN BARTHOLDY

435

Might not the German theatre have then possessed
an opera, a lyric drama, which would have forestalled
the paradoxical solution of the problem which so
many, whether musical ot not, appear so overready
to accept? And how long will the fashion hold?

Greatly unlike in temperament, in character, in
quality of genius, in outward circumstances and en-
vironment, largely, too, in their ideal aim and
tendency, Mendelssohn and Schumann seem to be
destined to be thought of together. They lived at

the same time, and were intimate associates and
friends in Leipsic. Each had the warmest admira-
tion for the other. The two together were a double
rooming-star in music ; yet " one star differeth from
another star in glory." Opinions will not soonagree
which in his works is the more significant or glori-
ous, which the more potent and far-reaching influ-
ence. We do not discuss the point. If the
sweetness of Mendelssohn's music does sometimes
cloy ; if with all the strength of his orchestral works.

> LAST PLACE OF RESIDENCE 1

% and Greek plays, with all the Jewish
masculinity of his Psalms, his male choruses and his
part-songs, one feels the feminine, the sentimental
minor vein predominate upon the whole; if his
struggles with his formidable art-problems were less
Titanic than those of Beethoven, and consequently
his triumphs less complete ; if his resolution of the
discord was a joy less absolute, less wholesome and
perennial (for with Beethoven Joy, joy — Freuih—
is ever the last word, — Joy as of the gods, admit-
ting of no surfeit, no corruption), still there is no
denying, except by some weak caprice of fashion,
the essential greatness of the composer Mendelssohn.
The most serious deduction to be made is, that he
was to a certain extent imitable. Swarms of imita-

tors sprang up, both in his own country and in
England. Hence a certain sense of sameness began
to attach to his music, — a sameness not fairly
chargeable to the master, but to the imitators, with
whom it was too easy to confound him, or through
their fog to see him falsely. Well might he have
said r " Save me from ray friends ! "

Once Mendelssohn was over-rated, in a most par-
tisan and partial spirit, especially in England. Now it
is too much the fashion, with young critics and
"disciples of the newness," to estimate him far be-
low his real worth. But all new fashions bring their
own reaction. In this case the reaction will be
purifying and salubrious. A reviving interest in
Mendelssohn's music will be so much new guaranty

4. ■56

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

against all false, extravagant, or morbid taste. —
While music remains music, whatever may be the
ups and downs of fashion, whatever the novelties of
style or method, however startling the juggleries of
brilliant execution, the genius and the art of Men-
delssohn will still hold good. Their (ascination may
be lost awhile amid the louder clamor of phenom-
enal new comers ; in more sane, reposeful hours, it
surely will return with many a sweet surprise.
What oratorio society, of high aim and standing,
can afford to let the St. Paul and Elijah, or the
Hymn of Praise, lose any of their lustre through
neglect of frequent practice? What orchestra can
fill out a worthy season without one or more of his
symphonies and of his poetic overtures? Is any
properly ambitious male chorus or part-song club
well equipped without the Antigone and Oedipus
music, or the Ode io the Artisls, or the part-songs
of Mendelssohn? Can any chamber music club
dispense yet with his string quartets, quintets, or

octet? And where is the pianist, however far ad-
vanced in virtuosity, who does not like to play
sometimes his compositions for pianoforte with or-
chestra, or who fails to find grateful audience for
the Lieder ohne IVorterf Indeed to ignore all this
is to convict oneself of a very youthful bumptious-
ness of spirit, an arrogant fanaticism of unreasoning
modemness in taste.

Four we count above all others in the temple of
tone-art and genius: — Bach, Handel, Mozart and
Beethoven. Can we fill out a second four without
the name of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy? Choice
may vary as to one or two names in that second
quartet; of Schubert and Schumann there can be
no question ; some may have preference for Haydn,
or for Gluck, or Weber, Chenibini, even for Rossini ;
but when with the other distinctions we take into
account that of many-sidedness, all-round musician-
ship, can any other four compete with Mendelssohn
except to his advantage?

/j^f.M^j^.

FROM A CAST OF MENDELSSOHN'S

ROBERT SCHUMANN

ROBERT SCHUMANN

VERY professional musician or
music-loving amaleur, who exam-
ines the individual influence ex-
erted by our great masters upon
himself, should always hold in
especial veneration the name of Robert Schumann.
What an important factor in our dearest recollec-
tions is formed by his music, whether enjoyed in
great orchestral, choral or chamber concerts, or in
the familiarity and reserve of our homes ! In how
many directions have his compositions and writings
influenced our musical feeling, knowledge and taste !
That which has so early endeared itself to us
must necessarily remain a lifelong companion, must,
indeed, become a part of our soul ; and this
particular corner in our musical heart occupied by
Schumann constantly requires fresh recognition of
that spirit, which has found expression in such
an enchanting language. Schumann being, however,
a true German, both personally and artistically,
the essence of thb spirit is not readily recognized
by foreigners. What the latter admire in him, the
Germans love, and if they wish to express that
which in Schumann's music is worthy of their highest
esteem, they use words for which it would be diflS-
cult to find an exact equivalent in the French,
English or Italian languages; as for instance,
GemQth, Innigkeit, Sinnigkeit and Schwiirmeret.
This is particularly true in the case of his vocal
compositions, which suffer in translation both poeti-
cally and musically more than similar works of any
other composer and are for this reason far from
being fully appreciated outside of German speaking
countries. Schumann's instrumental works, on the
contrary, have made his name famous wherever
music has become the object of a widespread in-
terest.

Robert Schumann's career was not rich in strik-
ing events of a general interest, but it was of a
more solitary character, revealing the inward life of

a poetic dreamer whose language was to be music ;
of an artist who paved the way for a new and bril-
liant epoch of his art, who enlarged its domain,
fought for its dignity, and by the splendid example of
his own productions proved the possibility of his ar-
tistic creed. His works were his life ; in him there
was the closest union of man and artist. Just as a
knowledge of his life and personal character helps
us to understand his music, so the study of the
latter reveals to us the man, for his works are not
merely results of a natural or an acquired ability,
but they form the musical history of the life of his
soul.

The twenty years during which Schumann per-
sonally exerted a great influence upon the musical
world cover a red-letter period 'of this century.
Only a few years before, Beethoven, Schubert and
Weber had died, closing the great epoch of the
classic masters, while at the same time preparing
a new one with new ideals and new prospects. In
the centre of the musical world stood the masters of
French and Italian opera : Auber, Hal^vy, Bellini,
Donizetti, and soon Meyerbeer, while such men as
Cherubini, M^hul, and Boieldieu ha<l already stepped
into the background, Germany still had Spohr and
a number of less famous composers excelling in
some special field, as fjr instance, Marscbner in
opera, Lachner in song and instrumental music,
Lowe in ballads and oratorios. Hummel and
Moscheles in pianoforte music ; but they all were hr
surpassed by the b'illiant sun of Mendelssohn which
had just risen. He, born in 1809, heads the list of
those distinguished names, which opened a new
epoch of our art, mainly represented beside himself
by Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Franz, and
their great French contemporary, Berlioz. Italian
and French opera, and an exhibition of meaningless
technical virtuosity, formed the general musical taste ;
Beethoven was neglected, Schubert hardly known ;
and it looks as if by some kind device of nature

440

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

just in the right time a resurrection of the higher
conception of art was brought about, no one assist-
ing more in the great work than Robert Schumann.
He was equipped not only with rarest creative gifts,
but also with a superior intellect, a high general cul-
ture and a thorough and sincere character, which
enabled him to persevere in his great undertaking
with unflagging zeal. Alas ! why has not nature
been more kind to him ? Why has not one so de
serving been spared the saddest of all fates ? Per-
haps it was to make his memory still dearer to us, to
increase our veneration for him so that even weak
nesses or errors in his life or works elicit from us an
honest sympathy, which increases whenever we read
his many published letters or the story of his life as
told by able and sympathetic writers like Wasielewski,
Spitta, Reissmann, and others.

Robert Schumann was bom on the 8th of June,
1810, in the town of Zwickau, Saxony. Neither his
birthplace, nor his ancestry, were such as to favor
an early development of his musical talent. His
father, August Schumann, son of a minister, had,
after a long struggle between business and poetry,
finally entered into partnership with a brother as a
bookseller, and became widely known as a publisher
of valuable bool^ and magazines, and besides as an
author. He had a particular fondness for English
poets, such as Milton, Scott, and Byron, whose
" Beppo " and " Childe Harold " he translated into
German. He was a self-made man, who owed all
his success to his own untiring energy. His wife,
Johanna Christiana Schnabel, whom he won only after
a severe struggle, was the daughter of the town- sur-
geon in Zeitz ; she is described as an agreeable lady,
of kind disposition, deep feeling and a certain
romantic sentimentality, which was also a conspic-
uous feature of Robert's nature. Her loving care
and motherly anxiety for her son is well known to
all readers of young Schumann's correspondence.

Robert was the youngest of five children. His
older brothers entered upon a business career, and
his only sister died in her twentieth year in a state
of incurable melancholy. The handsome little
boy was petted by everybody and much surrounded
by women. He received his education first in a
popular private school, later in the public schools,
receiving piano instruction from a school teacher,
Baccalaureus Kuntzsch, when only six years old.
Kuntzsch, who was not a professional musician, at
least taught him the most indispensable elements

and was held in highest esteem by Schumann till
his death. Little Robert early showed a disposition
to lead his playmates. One particular friend was
chosen to assist in four-hand pieces and a small boys'
orchestra was even formed, which Robert directed
and for which he made his first efforts as a compo-
ser, without having had any theoretical instmction.
There were overtures, even operatic sketches, and
especially a setting of the 150th psalm for chorus
and orchestra, written in Schumann's twelfth year.
He also showed a rare skill in improvising on the
pianoforte, trying to portray certain persons or dis-
positions. In public he played the accompaniment
of Schneider's oratorio "The Day of Judgment."
He was very fond of poetry and private theatricals,
but his love of music, which w»as rapidly increasing,
surpassed everything else. This was particularly
noticeable after the summer of 1 8 1 9, when he at-
tended a concert given by Moscheles in Carlsbad.
The father had now become convinced that Provi-
dence intended Robert for a musician, and notwith-
standing all the violent objections on the part of
his wife, who foresaw nothing but a career full of
deprivations, he applied to Carl Maria von Weber,
in Dresden, as a teacher for his son. Weber con-
sented to accept Robert as a pupil, but for unknown
reasons the excellent plan was abandoned and the
boy's golden opportunity was lost. In spite of this
neglect of early and well directed training (which
may explain why his first compositions were so
original in character and style), Schumann instinct-
ively kept steadily on in the right path, a fact
that greatly increases our admiration for him.
Thus he pursued his musical studies at home, besides
reading as much as possible, and helping his father
in his compilations and translations. But already
then he began to grow more and more reserved and
reflective, loving to be alone, in a world of imagina-
tion and dreams. That great romanticist and
humorist Jean Paul Friedrich Richter had completely
enchanted him; he knew his novels almost by
heart and never ceased to adore him as the richest
source for his own imagination.

In 1826 Schumann met with a severe loss in the
death of his father, who left the responsibility of the
lad's future in the hands of his mother and his guar-
dian, the merchant Rudel. They wished him to learn
some profession that would promise a safe position
early in life, and obediently submitting, he was in-
scribed as a law student at the university of Leipsic.

ROBERT SCHUMANN

44»

Before this he had graduated brilliantly from the
Zwickau Academy and had made a trip to Southern
Germany with a friend, visitiug, among other places,
Bayreuth, where he stopped at Jean Paul's home, and
Munich, where he met Heinrich Heine.

The youi^ law student had not been long in Leip-
sic, when he began to thoroughly dislike the chosen
profession as well as the noisy student life. To the
enthusiastic admirer of Beethoven, Schubert, Jean

Paul and Shakespeare the law seemed utterly diy
and uninteresting. However he promised his guar-
dian that he would pursue his legal studies, although
strong signs of a melancholy disposition had begun
to make their appearance. He joined some students'
societies, hut preferred the company of a few friends
who were also much given to musical and poetic
dreamings. In the house of Professor Cams, whose
wife was a clever singer, his musical penchant found

ROBERT SCHUMANN'S BtRTHPLACE II

all desired satisfaction ; here he met Marschner
and Friedrich Wieck, the eminent piano teacher,
father of that wonderful little Clara who, then nine
years old, had already become famous as a ])iano-
player of rare ability. With his mother's consent
Schumann became Wieck's pupil, enjoying at last a
rational method of technical education, though still
neglecting and even despising all theoretical studies.
In February, 1829, Wieck's instruction ended, Schu-
mann gaining more time for ensemble playing.
Beethoven's and Prince Louis Ferdinand's chamber

compositions were frequently rendered, but espe-
cially the works of Franz Schubert, whose early
death in the preceding year had impressed Schu-
mann very deeply. Bach's "Well-tempered Clavi-
chord" never left his piano. Happy in extempor-
izing all kinds of new melodies and harmonies, con-
trolled only by his musical instinct, he wrote a num-
ber of songs and piano pieces, and even a pianoforte
quartet, none of which have ever been published.
The law lectures he neglected, but was much inter-
ested in those on the great German philosophers.

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Kant, Fichte and Schelling, The next year he
spent in Heidelberg, that romantic old town so beau-
tifully situated in the neighboihood of Switierland

and Italy. Here Schumann met the eminent pan-
declist Thibaut ; but even this great professor was un-
able to overcome the student's aversion for the legal
profession. Again music became the centre of his
existence. Life was charming, the time being much
occupied by social events and trips which were
made to the neighboring towns and valleys. On
these occasions Schumann used to practice on a
dumb piano even when riding in a carriage. In the
fall he enjoyed a delightful trip to Switzerland and
upper Italy, and the spirit in which he describes his
impressions, changing from wit or rapture into mel-
ancholy, from admiration into home -sickness, is very
characteristic of his peculiar nature. The stay in
Heidelberg was prolonged for another term, which,
however, was again mainly devoted to piano-study

and composition, it being here that he composed
his first piano pieces. His skill being widely known,
he was often invited to parties, appearing also in a
public concert, where he played variations
by Moscheles, The struggle between filial
obedience and loyally to his genius had
now reached its climax. At a concert
given by Paganini in Frankfort, be was
deeply impressed, and resolved to live no
longer in uncertainty. Accordingly in
July, 1830, he sent his mother that famous
letter in which he pleads that his future
must be devoted to art, and offers to sub-
mit unreservedly to the decision of Wieck.
To his immense delight the latter's advice
was favorable and removed all doubts and
objections. Thus Schumann returned to
Leipsic as an enthusiastic student of his
beloved art.

Of the four ways in which a musician
may shape his practical career, teaching,
conducting, playing and composing, Schu-
mann chose the last two as being most
congenial to him, aiming particularly at
the greatest possible virtuosity. He de-
voted himself to mechanical exercises with
an almost sacred energy, even inventing
devices to promote his abilities in shorter
time than a natural development would
allow. At the same time he continued
composing, and though having no thor-
isi jnii. ough instruction, he found by his won-

derful instinct an adequate form for the
expression of his feelings and ideas, a
form which could not be called unmusical or ama-
teurish. Indeed in looking to-day at these earlier
compositions, we forget that they were written by a
man who was only half educated in music, and
we admire the genius which guided him in hnding
the truest language for his rich musical nature.
But this was not all. His highly cultivated mind,
his desire to promote art by every possible means,
compelled him to become also a leading literary
champion of its interests. Leipsic was at that time
a great musical centre, although the famous epoch
only began in 1835, when Mendelssohn was ap-
pointed conductor of the Gewandhaus Orchestra,

Before this, however, Schumann had to experience
a sad disappointment. A gradually increasing lame-
ness of the middle finger of the right hand ( a odd-

CURA SCHUMANN.
Fiom an engraving by Weger sftflt • photognph.

444

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

sequence of his mechanical contrivances) spoiled
every hope of his becoming a virtuoso. In spite of
this new obstacle he devoted himself only the more
to composition, and feeling sadly the lack of the ne-
cessary theoretical instruction, applied to Dom, con-
ductor of the opera, for lessons. During the winter
1832-33 he stayed with his family in Zwickau, where,
in a concert given by Clara Wieck, he conducted
the first movement of an unpublished symphony in
G minor.

Schumann was fortunate in being so well situated
pecuniarily that he was not obliged to earn his living
during the years of the development of his genius.
After his return to Leipsic he studied in private,
surrounding himself with a few talented friends.
Not content with their own mutual instruction in the
spirit and beauty of old masterworks, and the enthu-
siastic appreciation of the productions of younger
composers ; firmly believing in the possibility of a
new and brilliant epoch of musical art, these young
men desired to do all in their power to realize their
hopes. In pursuance of this idea they started a
magazine, " Die neue Zeitschrift fiir Musik," which
for many years was destined to exercise a wide in-
fluence in Germany. Its principal mission was to
plead for a more poetic conception of music, and
this cause was presented in an entirely new poetic
language. Poetry and prose, reality and fiction were
combined in a very ingenious manner. A society of
Davidites was founded, more in fiction than reality,
not confined to a circle of enthusiasts, but compris-
ing all the old masters as well as those then living,
Mozart and Bach as well as Berlioz, Chopin and
Mendelssohn. All writers of meaningless trivialities
or dry, unpoetic formalities were attacked as " Phil-
istines." In a similar way Schumann combined fic-
tion and reality in this literary occupation by substi-
tuting for his own individuality three different char-
acters, to personify the different sides of his nature,
Florestan representing all that was passionate, manly,
energetic ; Eusebius embracing all that was sweet,
tender or imaginative ; with the more objective,
experienced and reconciling figure of old Raro,
acting as moderator of both. Some years before
this paper was started, Schumann had made his
Uterary debut by contributions to other magazines,
his first work, when he was twenty-one years old,
being that glorious article on Chopin's opus 2,
giving a most poetic record of the feeling which
the music of the rising genius had awakened within

him. His own paper made its first appearance in
April, 1834, and Schumann, who soon became its
sole editor and proprietor, kept this position until
1844, when he took up his residence in Dresden.
That small portion of his time which was unoc-
cupied with journalistic work, was devoted to com-
posing, the fruits being a number of piano works
of striking originality and of a great variety of
moods and forms.

Although Schumann's musical and literary occu-
pations laid strong claim to his time and attention,
yet much of his interest was absorbed by affairs of a
private nature. For years he had watched closely
the development of Clara Wieck i but warm as his
feelings were for her, there was another young wom-
an who for a while took possession of his heart, Er-
nestine von Fricken, daughter of a Bohemian baron
from Asch, a name made famous through Schumann's
" Carnival scenes," which are mostly based on the
four notes corresponding with the letters of that
town (also the only musical letters in his own name).

H

EsCHA AsCH A,SC

(s) (es;

In German A flat is At. B natural is H, and E flat it Es.

This engagement was, however, broken in 1835, and
the following years, so rich in musical and literary
productions, were also marked by a continuous strug-
gle for that wonderful artist, Clara Wieck, whose
name was to become inseparably united with his own.
Not only from his letters, but also from many com-
positions, we learn the extent of Schumann's suffer-
ings from Wieck's obstinate refusal to give his
daughter to one who had not yet gained a safe posi-
tion and who was so far known more as a critic than
as a composer. Schumann tried everything to im-
prove his position, publishing his paper for a while
in Vienna but without finding the desired success,
and, after his return to Leipsic, procuring from the
university of Jena the honorary degree of doctor of
philosophy, on the ground of his writings and efforts
in the interest of art. His stay in Vienna was not
without influence on his future development as a
composer, and it had, besides this, the great result of
bringing to light some of Schubert's finest composi-
tions, especially the symphony in C, which Schu-
mann not only sent at once to Mendelssohn for its
first glorious performance, but presented to the
world in all its beauty through a wonderful article

ROBERT SCHUMANN

445

published in his magazine. His doctor diploma,
dated Feb. 14, 1840, speaks in the highest terms
of his merits as a composer and critic.

With all his efibrts and his growing popularity,
SchumanQ could not gain favoi in the eyes of father

Wieck ; only after a long term of legal proceed-
ings were the happy pair united in marriage,
their wedding being celebrated in a church near
I^eipsic in Sept., 1840. It was a union of greatest
imporUince not only to themselves but to music.

} CLARA SCHUMANN.

Both were true companions in an ideal struggle, true
Davidites and priests of art, Clara Schumann
Dot only continuing her career as a splendid in-
terpreter of the classics of Beethoven, Mendels-
sohn, Chopin and Schumann, but at the same time

tenderly watching over her husband's health and
temper, which was marked by a growing irritability.
Honor though it was to be Robert Schumann's wife,
it required a great character and supreme devotion.
Looking at his happy family life, reading his expres-

446

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

sions of gratitude, esteem and love for his wife ;
hearing those who have seen him play with his
children, once more we say that it is not only the
artist, but the man Schumann for whom we feel a
deep sympathy and esteem. Yet his disposition was
not wholly free from features of a less agreeable na-
ture. His sensitiveness and taciturnity often made
him appear in an unsympathetic light, or offend
those who meant well with him. But this was only
a sign of the deep-rooted disease, which developed
so steadily and which so early wrecked his mind and
body.

The culmination of Schumann's happiness being
attained, his creative powers increased wonder-
fully. Now he felt compelled to confide the mu-
sic of his soul to the human voice and suddenly ap-
peared as a great master in a new field, by producing
a wealth of songs, perfectly original in style, form and
spirit. Love, of course, plays a prominent but not
exclusive part in them. Yet his genius was seeking
for still higher fields and larger forms. The follow-
ing year was devoted to the composition of great
orchestral works, three symphonies (two of which
were published much later in different shape) and
the first movement of the pianoforte concerto. In
this higher sphere Schumann again proved himself
a master, the first symphony in B- flat, given most
successfully under Mendelssohn's direction, showing
his genius at once in the most brilliant light. This
fever for composing did not in the least abate in
1842, the year devoted to chamber music, when
he wrote the three string quartets, the quintet
and quartet for pianoforte and strings, which were
unsurpassed by any later efforts. Far from being
exhausted, in 1 843 he completed besides the famous
variations for two pianofortes, the great cantata
"Paradise and the Peri.'* It was received most
enthusiastically, and its success stimulated him
to write a similar work of still higher order, the
musical setting of the most difficult and mysterious
scenes from the second part of Goethe's " Faust."
Meanwhile he had continued the work for his musical
journal, accompanied his wife to concerts in Hamburg
and Russia, where he was highly honored as a com-
poser, and had also filled a position as professor for
pianoforte and composition at the new Conservatory
opened in April, 1843, with Mendelssohn as director.
Of this latter work of Schumann little has become
known, and from his uncommunicative nature one
has inferred that he lacked the talent of a true teach-

er. In 1844 he severed his connection with the Con-
servatory and with his journal also, and took up his
residence in Dresden. Overwork and the exerting
musical life in Leipsic had greatly increased his nerv-
ousness and he expected a speedy recovery in the
royal capital, with its lovely surroundings and quiet
life. However it took years to fully restore him.
Yet in these very years Schumann wrote his glorious
symphony in C, and devoted much time to strict
contrapuntal studies, composing several works in this
style. He finally took a more active part in Dres-
den's social life, keeping a friendly intercourse with
other musicians, poets and artists, and a sincere
interest in the opera, then directed by young Wagner.
At that time the reform of the musical drama was in
Dresden the centre of all musical interests, and
Schumann felt a deep desire to solve the great
problem in his own way.

We shall speak below more extensively about his
only opera " Genoveva." Although it was completed
in Dresden, in 1848, it had its first performance in
the summer of 1850, in Leipsic, under his own direc-
tion. It was repeated there a few times, but was
undeniably a great disappointment in spite of all its
musical beauties. Schumann was deeply affected,
disagreeing entirely with the critics as to the dra-
matic character of his work. Much more success-
ful were the first performances of his music to
" Faust," presented at the centenary of Goethe's
birthday in Dresden, leipsic and Weimar. Several
years later Schumann added more numbers, but the
entire work was given in its present shape only after
his death.

In the winter of 1846-47, Robert and Clara
Schumann made a trip to Vienna, where the latter
played her husband's concerto (completed in 1845),
and he conducted his first symphony. The Vien-
nese admired her playing but showed far less
appreciation for his music than the North Ger-
mans or even the Russians. In 1847, Schumann
succeeded Hiller as director of the Dresden
" Liedertafel," and in 1848 he started a mixed
chorus, which afforded him more genuine pleasure
than the male chorus. With them he gave the
Faust music, and " Paradise and the Peri," studied
Beethoven's great Mass in D, and began to believe
in his abilities as a conductor to such a degree,
that when, in 1849, it was rumored that Rietz,
Mendelssohn's successor in Leipsic, was going to
Berlin, Schumann eagerly applied for the high

MONUMENT TO ROBERT SCHUMAKK IN THE BONN CEMETERY,
Modelled by the sculptor Oondorf.

448

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

position. Rietz, however, remained. During these
last years in Dresden, Schumann had finished a
large number of chamber works, songs, duets, male,
female and mixed choruses with or without accom-
paniment, piano pieces, and the music to Byron's
" Manfred."

In 1850, Hiller again recommended Schumann
to become his successor as director of the orches-
tral and choral concerts in Dlisseldorf, and a call
being extended, it was readily accepted by the
composer. For such a work he had neither the
natural gifts nor the necessary preparation, his con-
ducting being hesitating, his way of rehearsing not
in the least instructive. Fluent as was his style in
writing, he lacked the gift of easily imparting his
ideas. However, he was received with high honors
and for three seasons performed his new duties, also
several times taking part in the great vocal festivals.
All his works were listened to with delight ; neverthe-
less it constantly became more evident that he was
anfit for the position, and in 1853 his engagement
was not renewed, the decision affecting him deeply.
A visit to Leipsic made by the artists in 1852 for
the performance of several novelties, was also rather
disappointing, while the triumphant tour through
Holland, at the end of 1853, forms the last sunny
period of Schumann's Hfe.

In these years he had composed feverishly, some
of the results being such great and famous produc-
tions as the Rhenish symphony, the cantata, " the
Pilgrimage of the Rose," several overtures, ballads
for soli, chorus and orchestra, a mass, a requiem,
several chamber works, songs, melodramas and
pianoforte pieces. He also planned writing another
opera on Schiller's " Bride of Messina " or Goethe's
*' Hermann and Dorothea," or a great popular
oratorio on " Luther," but was forced to abandon
the scheme. He was happiest amongst his children
and was as talkative with them as reticent with
others. Yet his old interest in new talents remained
unabated and the way in which he encouraged young
musicians, such as Reinecke, Meinardus, Dietrich,
Joachim and especially Brahms, shows him in a
most amiable light. But all this time that mysterious
influence which had so early affected his mind, was
daily gaining in strength. He was troubled so
much by nervousness, a feeling of permanent anxi-

ety, and even by hallucinations, that he became
desirous of a medical treatment in a hospital. One
night he rushed from his bed to write down a theme
just sent to him by the spirits of Schubert and
Mendelssohn. Nor was he free from superstitions,
for instance passionately taking part in the practice
of table moving. On February 22, 1854, soon after
dinner, without any warning he left his house and
the society of a few friends, to seek his final rest in
the floods of the Rhine. Saved by sailors, he re-
covered full possession of his faculties only for a
few days, in which he wrote one variation on the
theme of that strange night. During the two last
years of his life he was confined in a private hospi-
tal near Bonn. There a few friends such as Joachim
and young Brahms were admitted to see the beloved
master, so sadly afflicted both physically and men-
tally. His darkened mind became clear only at
rare intervals, when he would sit at the piano, once
more seeking a musical expression for the strange
world of thoughts within him. But soon all visits
from friends were forbidden, and the wife of the
great composer saw him only to close his eyes and
bid him a last farewell. He died July 2, 1856, only
forty- six years old. In Bonn, where he is buried, a
beautiful monument by Donndorf is erected in his
memory.

In appearance Schumann was rather tall and
stately, calm and slow in his movements, the face,
with deep, melancholy eyes and rich dark hair,
being quite expressive, but seldom betraying the
emotions of his soul, the wealth and depth of his
imagination or the exquisite wit and humor, so often
encountered in his works. Certain odd peculiarities
of his personal and artistic character, which became
more apparent when his health began to fail, can
not impair the general impression of his true nature
as manifested in the achievements of his happier
days. If we remember how late Schumann entered
upon a musical career, how late he enjoyed a thor-
ough theoretical instruction, how much he has also
done in the field of literature, how early his health
began to be impaired, and at what an early age he
was called away, we are astonished at the mass of
his works, so many of them of the widest scope and
importance, which place his name among the noblest
and greatest masters.

?4

/

J ^

c^^

^

s
•^

Fa&simile musical manuscript of the opening of Schumann's Quintette Op. 14. The original-is in the
possession of ) Brahms,

ROBERT SCHUMANN

451

In a certain sense Schumann's works may be re-
garded as a musical commentary on his life. This
is particularly true of his earlier pianoforte compo-
sitions. Being neither the result of theoretical
studies nor the imitation of favorite masters, they
were of a surprising originality, melodically, rhyth-
mically and harmonically, and revealed a new spirit
in a new form in spite of all relationship to Schu-
bert's small character pieces, Beethoven's last sona-
tas or Bach's polyphonic style. They were not only
new, but bold and full of a higher significance.
Schumann was never at a loss for ideas, but, being
familiar with every style of pianoforte playing from
Bach's to Moscheles' and Chopin's, and aiming at the
career of a virtuoso, he wrote from the beginning in
a very difficult style, rich in wonderful new effects
and combinations. Sometimes we find a " pearl of
great price " hidden beneath a wealth of ornament
of unusual beauty, novelty and poetic significance.
So peculiar indeed is the style of these pianoforte
works, that special technical study is required in
order to do them justice.

Like all our great composers, Schumann frequent-
ly makes use of variations, of course not in Henri
Herz's manner, but in Beethoven's, creating out of
one original idea a series of characteristic pieces,
strongly contrasted in form and spirit. In Heidel-
berg, long before his studies with Dorn, he wrote
those on A-b-e-gg, dedicated to a countess of this
name, who, however, was in reality nothing but a
modest, untitled young lady, with whom he had be-
come acquainted at a ball. The Impromptu (Op. 5) ,
on a theme of Clara Wieck, belongs to this class
also. But of much greater importance are the two
works, in which he best showed the peculiar charac-
ter of his pianoforte virtuosity, the Symphonic
Studies (Op. 13) and the Andante with variations for
two pianofortes (Op. 46). The extremely interest-
ing treatment in these works is very free, but always
ingenious, and the technical and intellectual difficul-
ties are very great.

Rarely one meets with a long cantilena, in
Schumann's earlier works, the material generally
having a short, somewhat fragmentary character,
often consisting of but a few notes, though treated
with a wealth of rhythmical or harmonical com-
binations. There is also a great variety of moods,
and the contrasts are not only very distinct, but
often unexpected and sudden. As a dreamer full
of sweetest or saddest thoughts he is not less

a9

touching than as a musical knight of the most
chivalrous spirit or as a humorist such as Bee-
thoven. Nowhere can one find a finer exhibition of
that peculiar German humor which " laughs through
tears," than in Schumann's charming " Humoreske "
(Op. 20). The arrangements of the Paganini ca-
prices and studies have a more pedagogic purpose,
while the great Toccata (Op. 7) and the Allegro
(Op. 8) may be called Schumann's noblest contribu-
tions to the literature of bravoura- pieces. More
characteristic of his individuality, however, are those
works with which his name as a musical poet will al-
ways remain especially connected — " Papillons,"
" Carnival, " " Davidsbtindlertanze, " " Phantasie-
stUcke," " Scenes from Childhood," " Kreisleriana "
and " Noveletten." Distinct pictures of his poet-
ical imagination form their object, yet it is well to
remember the composer's emphatic declaration,
that the music originated in his mind and was
written down before he even thought of the title,
which he afterward gave the composition. Yet so
wonderfully appropriate are many of these titles,
that it is often impossible not to perceive their
meaning in the music. What an inexhaustible
wealth of musical ideas is hidden in all these pro-
ductions, how many new rhythmical combinations,
how many " sweetest discords" ! Who has ever un-
derstood how to show so much depth of feeling
and originality of thought, such a rich imagination
within such narrow limits as has Schumann, par-
ticularly in the " Papillons " and " Carnival " ! One
feels that much of his own life's experience, much
of the romance of his heart is embodied in this
music. Thus the " Davidsbtindlertanze " are by no
means "dances," but the Davidites' knightly fights
against the Philistines, nor are the " Kreisleriana " a
portrayal of the eccentric Capellmeister in E. T. A.
Hoffmann's tale, but the expression of Schumann's
own enthusiastic, romantic, many-sided nature and
of the ever-varying moods of his soul. In the
Novelettes he tells us, in a most pleasing and spir-
ited language, the story of his struggle for Clara's
heart. The Phantasiestlicke contain veritable gems
among modern pianoforte music, such as " Even-
ings, " " Why," " Traumeswirren " and " Auf-
schwung." The utmost delicacy of sentiment and
fineness of musical expression are found in the
" Scenes from Childhood, " which are not meant
as compositions for children, but as musical genre
pictures from the children's life. Other fine pieces,

452

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

such as "Arabeske," " BlumenstUck," "Nacht-
stlicke, " may be only mentioned, though each
deserves a detailed analysis.

In three Sonatas Schumann has attempted to force
the wealth of his imagination into an old classic
form, but as he had not then perfected himself in
the latter, and besides wrote the single movements
at wide intervals, he could hardly be expected to
make a complete success. The material is almost
crowded, the development often lacks coherence, the
different portions are not of equal value ; and yet,
considering these productions as free music, we rec-
ognize again the composer*s vast powers of inven-
tion and combination, his passionate energy, deli-
cacy of sentiment and brilliancy of style. Of these
sonatas, the one in G minor is generally praised as
the best. On a higher plane we place the great fan-
tasia in C, Op. 17, dedicated to Liszt. Here Schu-
mann's imagination was free from strict formal fet-
ters ; the four movements keep one's interest evenly
and keenly alive, and, apparently written in hours
of inspiration, they go directly from heart to heart.
The earnest, noble character and lofty spirit of this
work remind us indeed of Beethoven, to whose mon-
ument Schumann had first intended to contribute it
as an " obolus." Its difficulties are such, that only
eminent players are able to master them and make
the meaning of the music clear.

Among Schumann's later pianoforte compositions
the following are best known : the lively, fanciful
" Faschingsschwank," composed in Vienna during
the carnival ; three romances, of which the one in F-
sharp is particularly famous ; some fugues and other
pieces in strict contrapuntal style ; the "Scenes from
the Woods" (among which is the odd "Bird as
Prophet"); " Bunte Blatter " ; " PhantasiestUcke " ;
" 20 Album Leaves " (including the popular cradle
song) ; and " Gesange der Friihe " ; " Three little
Sonatas," dedicated to his daughters, and the well
known " Album for the Young," with its forty-three
charming pieces, are certainly among the most val-
uable works ever written for children.

Of the compositions for four hands none deserves
more sympathy than the charming " Pictures from
the Orient," inspired by Riickert's " Makamen des
Hariri," certainly in no way inferior to the famous
"Evening Song'* from the twelve pieces Op. 85,
while the elaborate "Ball Scenes" and the easier
" Children's Ball " were written at a later period.

The pianoforte concerto in A minor ranks directly

after Beethoven's. It has a truly symphonic char-
acter, especially in the first and last movements, the
orchestra accompaniment being not less important
than the brilliant solo part, while the middle move-
ment. Intermezzo, seems even like a lovely solo for
the violoncello with piano accompaniment. Two
more concert pieces for pianoforte with orchestra
are an Allegro appassionato (Op. 92) and a Con-
cert Allegro with Introduction (Op. 134), the latter
dedicated to Joh. Brahms.

When, in 1840, Schumann reached the sunshine
of domestic happiness, he was compelled to express
his joy in singing, not only in vocal compositions,
but also in his instrumental pieces, which now began
to assume a more sustained melodic breadth. He
played no instrument besides the pianoforte, and for
this reason has often been accused of not fully
understanding the true nature of string or wood
instruments. We admit that occasionally a desired
effect is not well produced, but a thousand instances
prove that as a general statement such an accusation
is entirely false. There are portions where the
composer shows a lack of transparency, but a great
many more are very brilliant and most finely bal-
anced. His use of the strings is certainly effective
enough in his chamber works, though the finest
results are obtained in their combination with the
pianoforte.

The three string quartets dedicated to Mendels-
sohn show the latter's great influence on Schu-
mann's progress in larger forms. Later the com-
poser changed many details, and now we class them
among the most valuable productions of the kind
since Beethoven's death, the beauty of the ideas
and their fascinating treatment increasing our ad-
miration with each hearing. Schumann likes to
place the Scherzo before the slow movement and to
substitute for the Trio an Intermezzo in two-four
time. Greater than these quartets, however, are the
famous quintet and quartet in E-flat for piano-
forte and strings. The former especially has been
called the greatest chamber work since Beethoven,
and it has not yet been thmst from this position of
honor. How one would have liked to witness the
first performance of this splendid work with Clara
Schumann, to whom it is dedicated, at the piano !
Two very short themes form the basis of the first
movement, which has a bright, energetic character
and received an extremely rich harmonic treatment
with a brilliant ornamental figure work. Then

ROBERT AND CLARA SCHUMANN,
lithograph from life, by Edward Kaiser, in 1647.

454

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

follows a funeral march of a peculiar character,
having a choral-like episode in the major key, and a
passionate agitato in F minor. The highly spirited
Scherzo has again two trios, one sweet and melo-
dious, and the other a labyrinth of mysterious
sounds and thoughts. The same harmonic wealth
and energetic spirit we find again in the Finale, in
which through a combination of the principal theme
with the first one in the opening moment, a grand
climax is reached, closing a work which, with all its
romantic spirit and modern rhythm and harmony,
retains the character of a perfectly classic master-
piece. The pianoforte quartet deserves as much
praise, one of its most conspicuous features being
the close relation which Schumann bears to Bach,
while retaining his own strikingly modern poetical
spirit.

The trios for piano, violin and violoncello in D
minor and F are of a high order too, full of ingeni-
ous ideas, one being especially interesting by its
passionate, poetic spirit, the other through a greater
perfection in form ; but the originality and artistic
perfection which characterize them do not appear
in the G minor trio [ Op. i lo ]. Of a lighter char-
acter, yet delightful on every page, are the "Phan-
tasiestlicke" for violin, 'cello and piano, and the
" Marchenerzahlungen " for piano, clarinet and
viola.

The two passionate, melancholy Violin Sonatas of
his later years are, in spite of their great musical
worth, perhaps more gratifying for players than for
a concert audience, while many an enjoyable page
may be found among the different compositions for
clarinet, horn, viola, or violoncello and pianoforte.

Schumann's organ compositions are few in num-
ber, the principal ones being the six fugues on B-
A-C-H, which differ considerably in value and
character.

Besides the pianoforte concerto already men-
tioned, Schumann has composed one for violoncello
in A minor, demanding a player of great musical
intelligence : one for four horns, a revival of the old
concerto grosso, and a fantasia for violin with
orchestral accompaniment dedicated to Joachim,
who owns also the manuscript of a whole violin
concerto. All these works belong to Schumann's
last period, showing traces of exhaustion, but still
his noble, always purely artistic purposes.

In order to picture Schumann's orchestral works
with any degree of justice, we should be gifted with

his own wonderful powers of description, thus pro-
ducing upon our readers an impression similar to
that produced by the musical work upon a sympa-
thetic listener. What a splendid protest are they
against the faint-hearted belief, that with Beetho-
ven's " Ninth " the symphony as such had not only
reached its supreme development, but died. Surely
it required a genius, a great personality, a thorough
master of the symphonic art to write in this field
something worthy of the great predecessors, and
yet original. But such a personality was Schumann,
and his symphonies will forever belong to the
golden treasure of instrumental music. Far from
being imitations in any respect, they hold an inde-
pendent position of their own and will live as long
as their composer's name. Already the first one in
B-flat appears at once as a masterpiece of lasting
value. In this he might be called a younger brother
of Beethoven, a lad with youthful thoughts and
hopes and longings, with rosy cheeks and brilliant
eyes, full of sweetest tenderness and mirth, but
glowing with youth, manliness and vigor. His kin-
ship with Schubert is often apparent too, although
he always shows his own peculiar face. In regard
to the form, he introduces many new features.

This is particularly noticeable in his treatment of
the second theme in the first and last movements,
in the use of two trios in the Scherzo, and in the
melodious Larghetto, which greatly resembles his
Phantasiestiicke for piano. Throughout, this music
is extremely inspiriting; in spite of an occasional
lack of clearness in the instrumentation it is power-
ful and brilliant or of exquisite delicacy, and its
spirit full of love, happiness and spring.

The second symphony in D minor, later revised
and published as No. 4, is decidedly more passion-
ate and concentrated, some of the four movements
being closely connected, besides having partly a
common thematic material. New also is the slow
impressive introduction of the finale and the free,
fantasia-like treatment of the second part of the
opening movement. In the place of a broad adagio a
lovely romance precedes the Scherzo, which retains
its usual shape, and in all four movements the prin-
cipal key of I) is dominant.

Schumann's relationship to Beethoven seems how-
ever nowhere more conspicuous than in the great
symphony in C. It has an eminently virile, strong
and dithyrambic character. The solemn introduc-
tion of the first movement, the conciseness of its

ROBERT SCHUMANN

455

first part, the wide scope of the working-out portion,
even the character of the themes, remind us at once
of Beethoven's spirit. An extensive, fanciful scherzo
with two different trios in two-four time precedes
the beautiful Adagio, which, with its intense feeling,
sweet sadness and almost transcendental loftiness,
comes perhaps nearer to Beethoven than anything
else in modem symphonic literature. An exultant
finale crowns this truly monumental work. And let
us not foi^et that it was written in a gloomy period
of mental and physical distress. The deep study of
Bach at that time left many traces in the masterly
contrapuntal work.

A new world is revealed in the so-called Rhenish
Symphony in E-flat, There Schumann begins at
once with the Allegro, the first subject of the move-
ment bearing a vigorous character with efTective syn-
copations and clad in all the splendor of the full
orchestra, the second being a charming melody in G
minor. Omitting the usual repetition of the first
part, he extends the working-out portion by new and
ingenious combinations of the two subjects. Here
again we are often reminded of Beethoven. After
the brilliant Coda a lovely intermezzo follows with a
sweet, almost popular melody for the 'celli, alternat-
ing with a lively staccato figure of the string and
wood instruments and a romantic song for two horns,
the whole suggesting perhaps a pleasant trip on the
Rhine at sunset. And is there anything more deli-
cate and touching in any modern symphony than the
Andante in A-flat, where every instrument seems to
have a soul and to sing directly into our inmost
heart, now plaintive and sad, now consoling with an
indescribable delicacy of feeling. Still the com-
poser does not hasten to the finale, but puts in
another slow movement in E-flat minor in the char-
acter of a solemn ceremony (suggested by the in-
stallation of the archbishop in Cologne), highly
effective by its spirit, and vastly interesting by its
masterly counterpoint and rich instrumentation. It
touches us like liberty regained from such myster-
ies when the finale opens with its brilliant, vigorous
theme, and the whole glorious movement fills our
hearts with its own enthusiastic spirit. Yet this
great work was written when Schumann's powers be-
gan to decay, and when he was occupied with many
less successful efforts in other musical fields.

The fifth symphonic work, written directly after the
first symphony, but revised and published later un-
der the title " Overture, Scherzo and Finale," has

also become a favorite because of its charming, in-
spiriting character, especially prominent in the
scherzo, which is an excellent revival of the old
gigue form.

KAPELLMEISTER KREISLER.

Notwithstanding Schumann's admiration for Ber-
lioz, his firm belief in the close relation between
poetry and music, and his programmatic tendencies
in earlier pianoforte works, it is very significant that
he has in all his orchestral writing closely followed
the path of his great predecessors. Hereby he gave
great encouragement to still cling to the classic tra-
dition, and to believe in the possibility of a further
development of the symphonic form.

Even the master's overtures may be regarded in
this light of pure mgsic, although they refer to
certain distinct objects. They all were first intended
as preludes for some drama or festival occasion, such
as the one on the Rhine-wine song, in which after
a long orchestral movement a tenor solo leads over
to the popular chorus finale. The overtures to his
dramatic works "Genoveva" and " Manfred " rank
highest, and will be dwelt upon later; the others
refer to Shakespeare's "Julius Ciesar," scenes of
Gcethe's "Faust," Gcethe's " Hermann and Doro-

456

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

thea/' and Schiller's " Bride of Messina " ; the last
named being particularly worthy of a deep interest
and sympathy.

Omitting the many songs for children (some of
which have a peculiar charm), Schumann has com-
posed over two hundred works in this smallest form
of vocal music, the majority of which were written
in the happy year of his marriage. They made
Schumann at once a peer of Franz Schubert, and
placed him in the front rank of German song com-
posers as the representative of an entirely new style,
which has been quite successfully adopted by
younger masters. His poetic nature enabled him,
so to speak, to repeat the whole process of the poet
in the conception and shaping of his work, but as a
musician and in the richer and more delicate lan-
guage of music, and thus to more clearly express the
finest thoughts and feelings of the poem. The
words are treated very melodiously, but with a fine
sense for correct accentuation. Although the voice
retains the melodic expression of the sentiment, the
accompaniment, far from being a conventional sup-
port, is raised to such importance that it is abso-
lutely essential to the vocal strain. Thus much that
the poet could only suggest, found a wonderfully
distinct musical expression, partly in fine preludes,
interludes and postludes, and partly in the details of
the strict accompaniment. Here again, one is sur-
4)rised at the abundance of new harmonic and rhyth-
mic combinations. These songs demand the most
intimate harmony between singer and player and
most of them lose greatly by a translation in any
other language, as the music is often closely con-
nected, not only with the thought and sentiment,
but with the special poetic diction of the German
text. Schumann has sometimes been accused of
lacking a thorough comprehension of the human
voice ; in a certain sense this may be true, on the
other hand one must admit that there are few public
singers who are capable of giving a just rendering
of his finest songs, many of which are besides
hardly appropriate for the concert hall.

The master's high culture guided him in the selec-
tion of poems, and the great representatives of German
lyric poetry, Heine, Riickert, Eichendorff, Chamisso,
and Kerne r, owe a great deal of their popularity to
Schumann, as so many of their finest poems have
become inseparably connected with his music. In
his several cycles of songs (Heine's and F^ichendorff' s
" Liederkreis," Heine's "Dichterliebe," Riickert's

" Liebesfrlihling," to which Clara Schumann has con-
tributed some numbers, and Chamisso's "Frauen-
Liebe und Leben"), the single numbers are not
connected, but their coherence is often indicated by
some other way. Intensity and purity of feeling, truth
of expression for situations or moods of every kind,
and a rare harmony between the poetic and musical
senses secure to many of these songs the highest
position in this kind of literature. Some have a
simple, almost popular character (particularly those
by Burns), others are very elaborate. In ballads
(" Belsazar," "Soldier's Bride," "Two Grenadiers,"
"Die Rothe Hanne," "Der arme Peter," etc.), Schu-
manit has a peculiar style of his own, differing much
from that of the great master of German ballad
music, Ixjewe, less popular, yet in many ways not
less effective. Less happy perhaps are his later set-
tings of the songs from Goethe's " Wilhelm Meister "
and of poems of Elise Kullmann, Queen Mary
Stuart and others.

Much could be said of the many delightful vocal
duets, varying so much in style and spirit, and in-
teresting us so much both in the vocal and piano
parts. Yet we can only mention them here, as
well as the several important and larger works for
solo voices and piano in a cyclic form, such as the
" Minnespiel " from Riickert's " Liebesfruhling," the
" Spanische Liederspiel " and " Spanische Liebes-
lieder," all of which should be favorite numbers for
vocal chamber concerts.

Next in our review stand the part songs for
mixed, female or male voices. Some of them de-
serve a place beside Mendelssohn's little master-
pieces, others are almost forgotten or, like the great
motet for double male chorus and organ, or the
canons on Ruckert's " Ritornelle," are beyond the
sphere of male chonis societies. Few have won a
greater popularity than the " Gipsy Life " with
piano, triangle and tambourine. Of greater import-
ance, however, are several works with orchestra, un-
deservedly neglected, Ruckert's " Advent " and
" New Year Songs," Hebbel's gloomy " Nachtlied,"
and especially the touching " Requiem for Mignon "
from ( jcjethe's " Wilhelm Meister." Less distinction
is attributed to the four great ballads for chorus,
soli and orchestra, Uhland's " Gliick von Edenhall,"
"des Sanger's Fluch," "der Konigssohn," and
Geibel's "Vom Pagenund der Konigstochter." By
having these ballads arranged in a more extended,
dramatic form, Schumann impaired the work of the

ROBERT SCHUMANN

457

poet ; moreover he succeeded only partially in his
musical setting, weak portions predominating over
the more effective and even fine passages, which are
by no means wanting. The Requiem and the Mass,
both for chorus and orchestra without solos, the lat-
ter acknowledged as decidedly superior, were com-

posed in feverish haste, and give little proof of his
ability to reveal his religious feelii^ by means of
great choruses or to adapt his music to tlie Catholic
service. In these late years he tried his powers in
almost every field of composition, even applying the
melodramatic form to poems, which are recited to a

CLARA SCHUMANK.

pianoforte accompaniment ("Schon Hedwig," "die
FItichtlinge," " der Haideknabe.")

There yet remain several great works which have
helped to make Schumann's name immortal. In
the poem of " Paradise and the Peri," forming a
part of Thomas Moore's " I-alla Rookh," Schu-
mann found a subject particularly suited to his in-

dividuality, a touching romantic fairy tale with rich
Oriental scenery and pictures of strongly contrasted
vivid colors. Schumann changed the poem in some
places and made a few additions of his own, but
did not in the least impair its beauty or coherency.
The epic portions are attributed to different solo
voices and sometimes even to the chorus. The or-

458

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

chestral accompaniment is very elaborate, demand-
ing great care for an adequate performance. All
these scenes in India, Africa and at the gates of
Eden required a sensuous, yet refined instrument-
ation to portray them in their peculiar colors. Or-
chestra and the human voice were called upon
to furnish the truest and most touching expression
for the varied emotions of every number, which
might be warlike and thrilling or tender and sweet,
exuberant with joy or hopeless with despair, illus-
trating the charm of a blooming scenery or the
gloom, suffering and death brought by the plague.
The solos demand singers with beautiful, well-trained
voices, and a thorough comprehension of all the
musical and poetic beauties. A more brilliant and
impressive soprano solo part than the Peri does not
exist in all concert literature. There are also parts
assigned to a second soprano, alto, tenor and two
bass voices, the solos alternating with concerted
numbers of extreme beauty. Of the chorus numbers
the finales of parts one and three are on a large
plan and have a jubilant and highly spirited char-
acter. Not less beautiful are the smaller num-
bers, each so wonderfully adapted to its particular
situation and mood. Indeed one cannot speak too
highly of all this music, and even one who does not
sympathize with some monotonous portions in the
third part, or an occasional deviation from correct
declamation, will admit that this work is indeed the
finest repository of the wealth, beauty and pecu-
liarity of Robert Schumann's musical genius, in a
field in which he has no superior and hardly a rival.
It inaugurated indeed a new form of secular chorus
music, more modern in spirit and freer in the
whole arrangement than the oratorio proper, more
dramatic than the cantata, and of greater refinement
than the opera.

"The Pilgrimage of the Rose " cannot claim a
similar high position. Arranged for Schumann by
Horn after a poem of Pfarrius, it deals with a con-
ventional story of a weakly, sentimental character, in
spite of a few highly poetical incidents, and is un-
duly extended. Yet the music contains a most beau-
tiful chorus for male voices with horns, and charming
mixed chomses for female and mixed voices, their
tones being either soft and mellow or as bright and
spirited as anything written in much younger and
happier years. The solos are, however, more monot-
onous, the famous duet of the miller and his wife
being one of the few exceptions. It is also doubt-

ful whether Schumann did right in arranging the
original piano accompaniment for a whole orchestra
The second immortal work, by which Schumann
has enriched vocal concert literature, is his music to
scenes from Goethe's " Faust.'* Part I. consists, after
the weak overture, of the scenes in the garden, the
dome, and before the Mater dolorosa, from the first
part of Goethe's tragedy ; the scene in the garden is
distinguished by a peculiarly fine musical dialogue
and orchestral accompaniment, that in the dome by
the addition of an impressive Dies irae. The more
important scenes, however, divided in two parts, are
from Goethe's second play : " Ariel's song in the
morning dawn," "Sunrise," "Faust's monologue,"
" Scene of the four grey women," " Faust's blinding,
death and glorification." For this mystic poetry"
Schumann has found a sublime musical language,
which revealed to thousands the beauty of Goethe's
verses, and the hidden meaning of his thoughts.
The fantastic scene of the grey women, Faust's fare-
well song, the dialogue between Mephisto and his
Lemures, digging Faust's grave, the latter's death
followed by a wonderful postlude, are extremely-
impressive. Yet the climax is reached in the
half- religious, allegorical third part, where saints
and angels sing, amongst them Gretchen as " una
poenitentium." Here are true gems of musical
sublimity, comparable with nothing else in the
works of Schumann or any other composer. The
incorporeal world of spirits becomes almost visible
through the music. The final chorus in eight parts
shows in its solemn beginning a mar\ellous mastery
of contrapuntal art, while the allegro on the
"eternal womanly" perhaps in neither of the two
different settings which Schumann has written, fully
reaches his high intentions, and is unduly extended.
There are many solo and concerted numbers, yet
Faust remains the central figure. The sublime mu-
sic accorded to him makes his part unique, ap-
proaches nearest the Christ in Bach's "Passion,"
and demands a noble voice, technical perfection,
and the finest shading in the spiritual expression of
every phrase. The orchestral part, too, demands a
careful preparation. Schumann also composed
many numbers in which Goethe did not prescribe
the assistance of music, and if it is true that as a
whole this work has a fragmentary character, one
must not forget that Schumann originally intended
it for the concert stage, and as such it will forever
remain one of the noblest tasks for great choral so-

ROBERT SCHUMANN

459

cieties. However it cannot be denied that here too
a full enjoyment of all the musical depth and beauty
is only possible in connection with the German text,
with the peculiar melody, rhythm and color of Goe-
the's diction.

Of a somewhat fragmentary character is also the
music to Byron's " Manfred." This dramatic poem
with its wealth of thought and almost unbearable
gloom was never intended for theatrical purposes ; it
has a kindred spirit with Faust and even with Schu-
mann's own nature, and certainly no composer could
have entered deeper into this poetical glorification
of melancholy and despair. Schumann wrote the
music under such conditions of mind that it could
only come from the depths of his heart. The over-
ture ranks among his greatest productions as a
highly impressive picture of a passionate mental
struggle, rich in new orchestral effects and finenesses
of expression. Besides a lovely entr'acte the many
melodramas force even upon those who generally are
opposed to this form, the confession that Schumann
was one of the greatest musical psychologists ; while
the few vocal numbers (except perhaps the song of
the spirits of Ahrimanes and the Requiem) have less
significance. One feels this especially in theatrical
performances, which, although not intended by
either poet or composer, impress us still deeper
than the usual reading, singing and playing in con-
cert form.

Already in 1842, Schumann had confessed that
German opera was the subject of his daily prayer, it
being a field in which much could be accomplished.
This longing took a more decided shape in Dresden,
where the operatic interest predominated. There
he heard many new and old operas, watching also
the development of him who was destined to become
the central figure of modern musical dramatic art.
Schumann's relation to Wagner's personal and ar-
tistic individuality and his opinion of the latter's
earlier works cover a ground on which we hope the
future will gain more information than that afforded
by the occasional remarks in Schumann's letters. He
had an irresistible desire to participate in the reform
of the opera, and has shown in his " Genoveva," at
least his idea of the best solution of the problem.
He believed honestly in his ability to write dramatic
music. After searching a long while among old leg-
ends and stories, thinking also of Nibelungen, Wart-
burg Contest and similar subjects, he decided in favor
of " Genoveva," already treated as tragedy by Tieck

and Hebbel. The painter-poet Reinick was invited
to write a libretto, based mainly on Hebbel's drama ;
his book not being satisfactory, Schumann applied
to Hebbel, who, however, politely declined. The
composer, being thus forced to arrange it himself,
not only combined the two different plots and styles
of Tieck and Hebbel, but added new features, and
omitted others which would have greatly increased
the sympathy for his play and heroine. Musically he
followed Weber in his last operatic experiment " Eur-
yanthe," closely uniting words, music and action, and
connecting the single scenes into one coherent act.
But he substituted for the old form of the recitative
the more melodious, but certainly more monotonous,
undramatic arioso. There are four acts and four
principal parts of contrasting individuality. There
is no lack of passionate or tender emotional scenes,
of great ensemble numbers, or of scenic display ;
nor does the lyric element unduly predominate, but
in Schumann's mode of treatment even the dra-
matic speech assumes a lyric character, and with all
the variety of moods, all the great single effects and
the large number of beautiful music pieces (prayer,
hunting song, love duet, etc.), one does not feel able
to retain a hearty, active interest till the end of the
last act. Instead of an impressive picture of human
passions, sufferings and joys, we have only a musical
illustration of an old story which we liked to read in
childhood. Schumann entertained a very high opi-
nion of his work, saying that it did not contain one
bar of undramatic music. He erred, but neverthe-
less " Genoveva " remains a most interesting attempt
of one of our greatest masters to solve the operatic
problem, an attempt noble in its sincerity, rich in
musical beauty and fine psychological detail, bright
in color, yet of more of the style of oil-painting
than the al fresco required by the stage. Long after
the unsuccessful performances in Leipsic the opera
has been revived in many German cities, still finding
to-day a limited, but highly interested kudience of
those who love its author from his immortal master-
works in other fields. At least the magnificent over-
ture will perpetuate its memory as a favorite concert
number all over the world.

Thus Schumann has cultivated every field of his
art, not with e(iual success, but always with sincere
earnestness of purpose and a noble ambition to
widen its domain, and to refine its mode of expres-
sion. How original was he in its treatment of
melody, rhythm, harmony, instrumentation, and of

460

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the relation of music to poetry, in the combination of
old forms with a new spirit and in his endeavors to
find new forms. Closely connected in spirit and form
with Bach, Beethoven and Schubert, he was himself
so rich and original that he became a great influence
upon younger representatives of his art, even on
the other side of the Rhine and the British channel,
though less so in southern countries. Some younger
composers were particularly successful as his fol-
lowers in some special field, while others showed his
great influence in the shaping or coloring of many of
their best known and otherwise most original pro-
ductions. His music will be forever an inexhaust-
ible source of pure enjoyment for earnest music
lovers, and of the most valuable studies for young
aspiring composers of any nationality.

There was however another means by which
Schumann exercised a far-reaching influence,
namely, his literary and critical work. His writings,
collected by himself and published in two volumes,
belong among the most instructive and enjoyable
books on music. Yet one must not forget the time
when they were written. Since then we have become
accustomed to many new ideas and names, while
many once prominent men and once famous com-
positions are already forgotten. Still, even if many
articles of Schumann are interesting more in a his-
torical sense, we cannot help being impressed every-
where by his pure, noble, enthusiastic spirit, his high
opinion of the dignity of art, his extensive knowledge
of a general character, and by his fine taste and
clear judgment. He was as far from cold scientific
theories as from mystic philosophical comprehen-
sions. He was fond of an epigrammatic style,
abounding in exclamations and beautiful poetic
pictures. Indeed there is undeniably a similarity of
style between his earlier writings and coinpositions.

Schumann^s aim was to promote all high interests
of art, a better knowledge of old masters, a loving
appreciation of any merits of contemporaneous
composers and the preparation of new fields for
coming talents. How happy is he, when permitted
to praise enthusiastically ! how rare his ability, to
so describe the beauty of a composition that we
become really acquainted with its form and spirit !
Yet he is not always enthusiastic, but sometimes
quietly instructive, sarcastic and witty, or passion-
ately angry, as in his one-sided, yet comprehensible
attacks on Meyerbeer, Italian opera, or light piano
music after the fashion of Herz. But it shows a

generous and noble character that he, a rare pro-
ductive genius, found almost his greatest pleasure
in discovering new talents ; that even after many
years* retirement from all journalistic work, he once
more raised his enthusiastic, prophetic voice to
introduce Brahms to the musical world ! Nor was
he narrow-minded regarding nationality ; no Pole
could ever write of Chopin with more enthusiasm,
no Frenchman of Berlioz with a keener appreciation
than Schumann did, and how heartily did he wel-
come Gade the Dane, Bennett the Englishman,
Verhulst the Hollander ! He calls art a fugue, in
which all the civilized nations participate alternately.
His articles also abound in most remarkable state-
ments of a general nature. Of a tnie work of art
he demands a spiritual meaning and a form corres-
ponding to the composer's individuality. " Music
impels nightingales to utter love-songs, pug-dogs to
yelp." ** An equipped eye sees stars where others
only clouds and shadows." "The critic must
hasten past those who are sinking and fight for the
men of the future." He ridicules those who " on a
ladder try to measure a colossus like Beethoven
with yard-sticks in their hands." In his review^s on
new publications he confined himself to instru-
mental music, with a few exceptions. The famous
article on Schubert's symphony in C has hardly
more lasting value than the one on Berlioz, with the
many significant remarks on the power of orchestral
instruments for expression and description. But
his many high praises of Mendelssohn honor him
most. When once told that Mendelssohn was not
true to him, he refused to believe it and always kept
his memory as sacred as that of Schubert. Yet in
speaking of their mutual relations Schumann con-
fessed that he could learn much from Mendelssohn,
but Mendelssohn could also learn something from
him, and that, if he had been brought up in the same
happy circumstances as his contemporaries, he would
surpass them one and all. In Dresden Schumann
kept a little theatre journal, in which he wrote short
notes on old and new pieces ; interesting remarks just
like those in " Meister Raro's, Florestan's and
Eusebius' Denk- und Dichtbiichlein " or the well
known " Rules for young people."

Aside from all musical interest, one may regard
Schumann's writings as valuable contributions to
literature emanating from an author of the finest
artistic sense, a master of his language and of the
most wonderful expressions for the subtleties of poetic

ROBERT AND CLARA SCHUMANN,
'ingr by F Schauer of Berlin, after the medallion in relief by Prof. Rietschel.

462

FAMOUS COAf POSERS

or musical feelings. It would not be right not to
mention here his many letters, which so far have
been published in several collections and which are
as instructive for the musician as enjoyable for the
general reader. They help greatly to understand
his individuality as man and artist. By his literary
writings Schumann has perhaps exercised directly
and indirectly as great an influence as by his musical
works. Yet it is the latter, by which he will live
for ever as one who has given his life-blood to his

art and enriched our literature by masterworks of
absolute beauty, greatness and originality, and who,
even where he erred or made unsuccessful experi-
ments, is worthy of our sincere sympathy because
of the honesty of his purpose. Boundless is our
gratitude and veneration for him whose genius w^ill
continue to reach thousands of new admirers that
will honor in him a peer of those who are the comer
stones of musical art.

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ROBERT FRANZ

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ROBERT FRANZ

IN the study of^the history o£ musi-
cal art, nothing can strike our
mind more impressively than the
observation of its coherency, of
the connection between the differ-
ent phases in the development o£
each particular field and between its most promi-
nent representatives; but most striking is this
impression when we become aware of an influence
directly felt through generations. When about a
generation ago the conservative Professor fiischoff
sarcastically threw the term " music of the future "
into the world with reference to Wagner's music
dramas, the master accepted it as a watchword,
and in his pamphlet "The art work of the future,"
laid down the hopes and ideals which he strove to
realize. Numberless times since then has this
phrase been used everywhere, and those who,
standing in the midst of the movement, wanted to
become clear as to its true meaning, had at least
to admit that all great music has ever been " music
of the future," whether its value has been recog-
nized by contemporaries or not. But most emi-
nently it has seemed to apjily to the great master,
Johann Sebastian Bach. Of him, who died more
than fourteen decades ago, it could have been
said, that only a very remote future would do his
works justice, for even to-day they must still be
regarded as "music of the future," and the influ-
ence which they were destined to exert upon the
development of musical art in various fields, is
still far from having reached its end. It is inspir-
ing to see how the thorough understanding and
appreciation of this genius, and of the wealth,
depth and greatness of his style, are progressing in
the different countries, and just as inspiring to
examine his extraordinary influence upon the more
recent epochs of musical history. While some
composers tried to follow him in his own fields, as
Mendelssohn in the oratorio or Rheinberger in

compositions for the organ, others, as Schumann
and Brahms in instrumental works, have adopted
his wonderful polyphonic and contrapuntal art,
showing his influence just in those productions,
which otherwise exhibit most strongly their own
individuality. Even the revolutionary Wagner
held Bach's genius in veneration, and paid a noble
tribute to it in his Mastersingers. Indeed, consid-
ering these facts, an overwhelming sense of admira-
tion and gratitude must fill our hearts, particularly
in thinking of the great master of modern Cerman
song to whom this article is devoted.

Not an imitator, but a worthy successor of Bach,
in a field, the highest cultivation of which has been
preserved to modern time as one of its noblest
tasks, is Robert Franz, whose life and works may
perhaps awaken a double interest, if viewed in the
light of the above introductory remarks. In
outward appearance this life was, perhaps, even
more quiet and simple than that of bach. Franz's
soul and mind had always turned toward the inner
world, just as in his songs he studiously avoided all
ostentation and meaningless brilliancy. There is
indeed a significant harmony between his life and
songs, the latter being the outgrowth of the former,
not occasionally written down from a vain ambition
to compose, nor as a pastime or fashion, but as
the fulfilment of his life's task, to which his genius
had committed him.

Robert Franz was born June z8, 1815, in Halle,
the old university town in the centre of Ger-
many, the birthplace of Handel. Here Franz has
remained all his life. He did not descend from a
musical family, but from plain, honest, business
people ; nor were there any direct early proofs of
his musical genius, as only in his fourteenth year
he was given an opportunity, on an antique, spinet-
like pantaleon (or large dulcimer) to make his first
practical experiments, at the same time trying, un-
aided, with a touching perseverance, to find out

464

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

the secrets of musical notation. However, he had
received his first musical impressions when very
young. At two years of age he had been amply
impressed by Luther's choral, " A Mighty Fortress is
Our Lord," played by trombones from the steeple
of a church at the celebration of the third centenary
of the Reformation. At home his father was accus-
tomed to sing the old church and folk songs. The
effect of these early impressions on his young musi-
cal soul was soon obvious, for he says that in school
he had an irresistible desire to add a second voice
to the melodies which were being practised. His
unsolicited assistance was looked upon as a crime
by the teacher, who punished him for it repeatedly.
It was the mother who first lent a helping hand
to the boy's outspoken talent and inclination, and
who succeeded in persuading his father to buy
the already mentioned pantaleon. Naturally the in-
struction which young Robert received, first from a
relative and then by nearly all the different music
teachers of Halle in succession, was not of much
value. He achieved more by his own impulses,
practising chorals with friends, eagerly studying the
organ and using every opportunity to play accom-
paniments, as for instance, in the choral rehearsals
of the famous Franke Asylum. There he became
acquainted with the music of Mozart, Haydn, and
his great fellow citizen, Handel, and there he was
first fired with the spirit of composition. Unad-
vised and without the least theoretical preparation
he yielded to his desire to compose, neglecting
even his school duties in favor of this impulse, the
results of which, however, he has declared utterly
worthless. It was difficult for him, especially in his
own home, to brave all depreciation of his talents
and to overcome all opposition ; only the firm
belief in his artistic calling enabled him to fight the
battle through victoriously.

Franz was twenty years old, when at last his
])arents consented to his thorough professional edu-
cation. The Leipsic Conservatory not having been
founded, the music school of the famous theorist
and composer, Friedrich Schneider, in Dessau, was
at that time held in highest esteem, and there
Franz was sent. The rather patriarchal, old fash-
ioned, pedantic spirit which prevailed in this school,
could certainly offer to the young aspiring student
substantial knowledge, though it could do but little
to develop his poetic nature. Yet he learned a
great deal there, and laid a most excellent founda-

tion to the eminent theoretical knowledge and mas-
tery in the strict contrapuntal and polyphonic style
by which he later won such a high distinction.

Besides this, the ever fresh impulses of his own
nature and the inspiring intercourse with congenial
fellow students helped to mature his own musical
individuality. A peculiar influence is attributed to
a certain Reupsch, whom Franz describes as quite
extraordinary in improvisations on the organ and
in the treatment of chorals. Nothing has ever
been published of all the works (consisting of
pianoforte sonatas, a mass, etc.) which were com-
posed during these years. Franz felt that his nature
would lead him upon an independent path of his
own, but his instinct had not yet found this sphere.
After two years of study he returned home, only to
meet with new opposition and mistrust in his talent.
No position was offered him, no compositions ap-
peared in print ; and it was then that the sympathy
of his faithful mother remained his best comfort.
In the circles of cultivated dilettanti he learned
that the intrinsic value of a work of art is found in
its inner significance, and that its formal value, if it
be a really artistic production, should be a matter
of course. This is the very idea for which Robert
Schumann was then fighting, and which men like
Wagner, Liszt and Berlioz have made the principle
of their artistic creed. Yet all true art rests on the
closest harmony between both elements, where the
form is the necessary and most perfect expression
of the ideal contents, the two forming a perfect
union. What a blessing was it that Franz in this
way found rich opportunities to become acquainted
with old Italian music, and with the three great
German masters, Bach, Schubert and Schumann,
whose works have most essentially influenced the
moulding of his own musical language.

He gave such close study to their works that his
nervous system was overwrought, and becoming his
own severest critic he destroyed all his former
compositions. Courage and confidence seemed to
leave him and for years his production ceased.
This did not prevent him from striving to acquire
a higher general education, however, and he applied
himself especially to the study of philosophy and
literature, availing himself of the rich opportunities
afforded by the University of his city. At last a short
dream of love brought forth the music of his soul,
his first songs, which came forth from the depths of
his heart. This was in 1843. Schumann, to whom

ROBERT FRANZ.

466

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

he sent the songs, honored him with a most hearty
recognition of his talent, and was helpful in finding
a publisher. But Franz's nervous condition and
ominous, early developing auricular sufferings
obliged him to take an extended trip to Tyrol and
Italy. The journey strengthened him so much that
after his return he was finally able to devote with
enthusiasm his rich talents untrammelled to the
cultivation of his new field. Others followed Schu-
mann in their sincere recognition of our composer's
talent, among whom were (iade, Mendelssohn, and
especially Liszt, who was so often the noble cham-
pion for new talents, and who wrote one of his
finest pamphlets in praise of Franz's songs. Wagner,
who certainly never could be accused of being too
liberal in his praise of others, was not to be out-
done. In a letter to Uhlig he says he will never
forget that Franz was, after Liszt, the first German
musician who had done him justice.

Besides some compositions for the church, and a
few part songs, Franz has confined himself to the
cultivation of the German " Lied " with a wonderful
concentration of all his faculties, reaching the
highest perfection, richness, depth, and beauty in
this one genre, as Chopin did in his field of piano-
forte compositions. As regards his practical occu-

pation in Halle, he held several positions, with
which he had been entrusted soon after his first
success as a composer, being organist at the St.
Ulrici church and director of the singing Academy
and the symphony concerts, as well as at the Uni-
versity. However, his increasing nervous and auric-
ular maladies obliged him in 1868 to resign all
these offices and to live from the limited earnings of
his compositions. A generous gift in money started
by the always noble minded Liszt, and supported
by admirers in Germany, England and America,
released him from all further anxieties. Thus the
dear master, invalid in body but young in spirit,
lived in retirement in his native city, with his wife,
Maria Hinrichs, slowly winning the recognition of
the musical world. Letters received from him in
the summer of 1892 still showed an unusually bright
and active mind, so that the announcement of his
death, which occurred Oct. 24th in Halle, came as a
sad surprise. Many an honor has been conferred
upon him, the title of a royal music director, of an
honorary doctor of the Halle University, and Ba-
varian and Prussian orders. Yet greater than all
these is the honor of living forever through his works
in the hearts of his people, and in the high esteem
of all students of music and its history.

The collection of Robert Franz's songs may be
well compared to a lovely garden, most carefully
adorned with l>eautiful flowers of every variety, each
of which attracts and deserves our ^^pecial and close
attention. Indeed, whoever takes pains, in an
earnest and loving mind to review these songs one
by one, and to penetrate into their peculiar nature,
style and beauty, will be surprised to observe that
the composer has allowed not one to be published
without having perfected it in every detail. Even
the simplest folk-song had to be a true work of art,
worthy of his name and genius, before he would
send it upon its wanderings through the world.
Another significant fact, which also does him great
credit, is that each song impresses us most forcibly
as being born out of a deep, sympathetic compre-
hension of the peculiar genius of the poet, and the
language, sentiment, and spirit of the poem. There

is no conventionality, no mannerism, no following
of certain patterns, which so often characterize
ancient and modern manufacturers of songs. Every
number presents, in closest harmony with the text
of the poem, an individual musical organism,
bearing the mark of Franz's artistic individuality,
but forming with the poem such a perfect union
that we do not wish to separate the music from the
words, nor are we able to fully enjoy either inde-
pendent of the other. The music of his songs is
not of such a character as to detract from the
beauty and interest of the poem. The musical
setting is designed mainly to enhance the charm
of the i)oetic gem, and display it to best advantage.
There are thousands of songs which please
superficial singers and audiences without awaken-
ing the least question as to the worth of the poem
and its author. This is not true of Franz's songs,

30

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468

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

however, and never has a song writer succeeded
better than he in doing his chosen poets and
poems full justice. He did not use them simply
to serve his musical purpose, but adapted himself
to them in a way which might be called self-abne-
gation of the highest form. It is this characteristic,
together with his use of the old contrapuntal and
polyphonic art, that gives Franz*s compositions a
classic aspect. His aim and task was to find a
formally clear, distinct expression for every kind of
poetical sentiment, and one hardly errs in saying
that Franz has outgrown the romanticist in himself
and donned the superior garb of classical art.
The musical construction of his songs is firm and
perfectly developed, and allows no room for mis-
understanding or individual conceptions. His
ideas are expressed fully and clearly, and
although the general impression produced may
continue to move us, it is brought to a complete,
satisfactory conclusion by the last note. One feels
that here a superior artistic spirit, an eminent
musical genius reigns ; a genius drawing inspiration
from the purest musical source, guided by high
literary and aesthetic culture, scorning imitation
and cheap, tawdry effects, but in each new song
striving for strength, character and perfect harmony
with the poet whose work his music honors.

It will readily be understood why the creator of
such beautiful works of art should be unwilling to
make the piano accompaniment play a subordinate
part. However, he does not raise it to the princi-
pal position, as does Wagner, in his latest music
dramas, but melodically, rhythmically, harmonically,
interweaves it with the vocal strain in such a way
that each part completes the other, both forming a
wonderful unity. In fact, as regards this intimate
and organic connection of song and accompani-
ment, Franz hardly has his equal among the great
song composers, notwithstanding many splendid
instances of this combining power found in the
songs of Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann and
Brahms. Quite often Franz's song accompaniments
are written in such a manner that each part forms
a beautiful song by itself, so that one is almost
tempted to sing one of the inner voices; while
sometimes the accompaniment is even written
strictly in four parts, making it seem like a choral
composition. This leads us to the cardinal features
of Franz's style, and shows his close relationship
to Sebastian Bach and to the already mentioned

old hymns and folk songs. August Saran has
treated this subject most thoroughly in a very
remarkable book culminating in the statement,
" Robert Franz's song is in its whole nature and
musical structure nothing else but the old German
folk-song, enriched and idealized by the peculiar
expressiveness of modern music." Those old
folk-songs had once reached their highest develop-
ment on sacred ground in the protestant Choral as
it became so wonderfully perfected in Bach's
polyphonic and contrapuntal art. We find that
Franz has applied this same art and spirit to modern
lyric songs, although at the same time he fully
recognizes what all the later musical epochs have
contributed in the way of greater delicacy or in-
tensity of expression, richer, and freer use of the
rhythms, new harmonic modulations, a closer regard
for the intelligent phrasing of poetic words, and a
richer and far more varied and effective technique
of the pianoforte.

As regards his style Franz is thus an absolutely
modern composer, else his songs would be mere
scholarly experiments, having no inner life. But
his melodies are evidently designed for a poly-
phonic treatment. They need to be supplemented
by other parts, not merely by a simple chord
accompaniment, although this is also used occa-
sionally. Yet with all these finesses, and the diffi-
culties of such a complicated style, most of the
songs have quite a popular character in the noblest
meaning of the word. Only a small number are
what the Germans term " durchcomponirt," (com-
posed through), a large majority are in the strophe
form. Yet the composer understands just how
in the most wonderful, scarcely perceptible, and
often extremely delicate manner, to do justice
to the changing moods of the different strophes.
Quite a number of the compositions are true
folk-songs, the poems being old German, Suabian,
Swiss, Bohemian and Scotch.

Franz's favorites among prominent poets, are
Heine, Lenau, Eichendorff, Burns and Osterwald,
while secondary are Goethe, Rlickert, Geibel, Mor-
icke and Roquette. The subjects treated by him are
many and varied ; there are many beautiful songs
of nature in various deeply affecting, concentrated
moods, songs of night and stars, of water and
waves, weather and storm, autumn and spring,
forest and heath ; also songs of love in all the
phases which a heart may experience, from the first

ROBERT FRANZ

469

sweet, chaste dawn, to the exultation of final happi-
ness ; the woe of a broken heart, and of parting
and death; nor are merry, dancing or humorous
songs missing. Vet there are no ballads.

How many remarkable, strong, or delicate
features could be singled out of this wealth of
lyric music, but how much easier and more directly
could this be done with the songs themselves
before one \ The sharp eye or ear would ihen
be delightfully surprised by many strange and new
details. They would meet with unusual keys and
modulations, intentional indefinite fluctuations be-
tween major and minor keys, rhythmical finesses and
curious combinations such as a
} time or the periodical change
of the time, impressive declam-
atory effects, an effective use of
syncopations, sequences, inver-
sions, cadences, characteristic
figures and ornaments. And
this never for purely musical
purposes, but for the sake of a
better expression of the poetic
meaning. Would that these
lines might help to induce many
readers lo study closely the
songs of Robert Franz 1 They
would then experience delight-
ful surprises with nearly every
song, and their hearts would be
filled more and more with
music of a new and independent
style, each tone of which has
life and meaning, and helps to
arouse one's sympathy for a
new, though limited, world of
beauty and ideal contents. But never will (he
student's surprise and pleasure be greater than
when meeting with songs such as are already
familiar and dear to him in other famous settings.
For none of these neeil lo step aside and shun
comparison with their more celebrated rivals.
For illustration, his "Restless Love," by Goethe,
certainly has not a less passionate melody than
Schubert's setting of the same subject, while the
brilliant accompaniment of the former is decidedly
superior to Schubert's. "When Midnight Dreams"
("Allniichtlich im Traume") is a worthy rival of
Schumann's fine song, and much better than
Mendelssohn's conventional setting of Heine's

ROBERT FRANZ

poem. It is difficult to decide which deserves the
preference, Franz's or Brahms' setting oi the
beautiful slumber-song "Ruhe SOssliebchen" from
Tieck's "Schiine Magelone;" though quite dis-
similar, both hold high places among the songs of
these two masters. Especially interesting is the
comi)arison of those, the poems of which, mostly
written by Heine, have also inspired Schumann to
some of his very finest productions. These are
the songs which are recommended to all who
desire to study the strong individuality and sig-
nificance of Robert Franz as a comiwser of songs.
In such a rich collection it is impossible to si>ecify
the merits of each song; for all
appeal equally to our sympathy
and attention.

The adequate rendering of
Franz's songs lies both with the
singer and the accompanist.
Most of them demand a well
trained voice of a fine musical
quality, and often of a wide
compass, an unusual degree of
general musical education, a
clear poetical comprehension of
text and music, and a most
distinct enunciation and intel-
ligent phrasing. The accom-
paniment calls for a very clever
player, well schooled in Bach's
poly]3honic style, who has a
singing tone and who, in the
whole conception and delivery,
is in full harmony with the singer.
Nearly all of these songs can be
well rendered and enjoyed in an
English translation, if only the translator be guided
in his work by the utmost regard for the melos
and rhythm of the poem and its music.
Franz's songs are still far too little known,
although in the old world, and we are proud
to say in the new also, some enthusiastic admirers,
singers, musicians and writers have done a great
deal for their introduction. They are everywhere
respected, but unduly neglected in vocal con-
certs as well as in our homes, where their influence
would be felt still more. May these lines help to
win them many true and lasting friends.

There remains still another highly important
musical achievement of Robert Franz to be noted.

470

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

— a series of works through which he has deserved
the lasting thanks of all earnest friends of musical
art, and which will for all time connect his name
with those of our greatest masters of the oratorio,
Bach and Handel. Before him Mozart had made
a similar attempt with the music of Handel, and
Mendelssohn with that of Bach, but neither
achieved a complete success. These old masters
did not fully write ouf the accompaniments to their
great works in the form which has become the rule
with their successors, but rather left them as out-
lines, a mere figured bass indicating the accom-
paniment, which the composer either played or
personally supervised. The old art of playing
from a figured bass has in our time become almost
obsolete ; besides our ears have through the won-
derful development of instrumental music become
accustomed to new sounds and orchestral effects,
which are now absolutely essential to us. Also,
some instruments have since been discarded and
others modified. It was an extremely difficult
task to complete this accompaniment, which was
merely suggested, and arrange it for our modern
orchestral instruments, at the same time retain-
ing the spirit and style of the old great mas-
ters. It required a thorough historical and
theoretical knowledge, a fine sense of the
peculiar character of the different instruments
and a complete mastery of polyphonic and
contrapuntal art, qualities found only in a true
musician, who was himself highly gifted as a com-
poser. Scholarly professors might perhaps have
performed this feat in a merely correct and anti-
quarian manner, but only a tnie musician could
inspire these accompaniments with the same life as
the old masters would have done had they lived at
the present stage of musical art. It will be easily
understood that such an undertaking excited the
most animated criticism, which several times

led Franz to defend his standpoint in very
interesting publications. Against such attacks by
more or less famous and learned musical writers he
was warmly assisted by enthusiastic friends and
admirers in Germany, England and America, where
Franz had early found many marks of a high ap-
preciation of his genius. However the most
gratifying reward for his labors is the fact that his
arrangements of the old masterworks are steadily
coming into general use. Modem as is his senti-
ment as a productive musician, he stands nearer to
Bach and Handel in style and spirit than any
other living composer. We know of none who
could have performed this great task more con-
scientiously, with a deeper comprehension of the
old art and with a more loving devotion than
Robert Franz. What he has achieved in this line
secures him immortality not less than his songs.

The most important of these arrangements are :
Handel's "Messiah," "Jubilate," "1' Allegro il
Pensieroso ed il Moderate," and many arias and
duets ; Bach's " St. Matthew Passion," " Magnificat,"
"Christmas Oratorio," "Tragic Ode," and many
cantatas and arias; Astorga's "Stabat Mater,"
Durante's " Magnificat," and quite a collection of
old German chorals and songs.

Considering, then, all that Franz has done for
us, we bow in admiration and thankfulness before
a genius, who is one of the noblest representatives
of the latest musical epoch, and whose name is one
of the few worthy to continue the list of those
masters whom we honor as the corner stones of
musical art. For it is not the size, but the ideal
significance and degree of perfection, which deter-
mines the greatness and lasting value of a work of
art. Whoever produces works of absolute beauty
and perfection, even in a minor field, deserves a
place of honor amongst the masters of all times.

GIACOMO MEYERBEER

RmnHiicUon of a lUhBtratH portrait madt from lift. 6y Krithobtr, of Vlmm. Hiyitbnr la Mi fiprilrU

GIACOMO MEYERBEER

HE great composer known under
the name of Meyerbeer, and who
occupied one of the most import-
ant places in the history of musical
art in the nineteenth century, was
in reality christened Jacob Liebmann Beer, his
Christian name being afterward Italianized into
Giacomo. He was born at Berlin, according to some
authorities on Sept. 5th, according to others on Sept.
23, 1791. His father, who was a Hebrew, and one of
the richest bankers of Prussia, had three other sons,
William, Michael and Henry, all of whom were dis-
tinguished men, although their notoriety has been
eclipsed by the glory of him who is known to the
world as Meyerbeer. William Beer, indeed, who
succeeded his father as banker, was at the same time
a remarkable astronomer. He became the colla-
borator of Maedler for his scientific works, and
published a chart of the moon which won for him
an important prize from the Berlin Acatiemy of
Sciences; he died March 27, 1850. Michael Beer,
who was born in 1800 and died when only thirty-
three, acquired considerable renown as a dramatic
poet by his various works, Clytemneslni, Ics Fiances
ifAragon, k Paria, and especially Siruensec, his
masterpiece, which afterwards received a new lustre
in being set to music by his brother the composer.
To return to the latter, while he was still quite a
child, one of his uncles, named Meyer, who had
always had a great affection for him, died, leaving
him his whole fortune on condition that he should
add to his name that of Meyer, whence resulted the
name Meyerbeer, under which the composer has
always been known.

From his earliest years, Meyerbeer showed an
exceptional bent for music. His father, far from
opposing this tendency, rather encouraged him in
it, and gave him an excellent piano teacher, Ignace
Lauska, who had been a pupil of Clementi. The
child made such rapid progress that he was able to

appear at a public concert in Berlin, October 14,
1800, at which he made a great success. He ap-
peared again in 1803 and 1804 with the same success,
and it was then that the .Abbi} Vogler, whose disciple
he became later on, hearing him improvise with a
rare facility, predicted that he woukl one day be
a great musician. Two or three years later, Meyer-
beer had occasion to play before Clementi, who was
staying for some time in Berlin, on his way back
from Saint Petersburg, and the master was so
charmed with the lad's talent that he consented to
give him lessons during his sojourn in that city.

At this period, and without having given any at-
tention to theoretic study, Meyerbeer alreatiy occu-
pied himself with composition. Guided alone by
his instinct and his natural taste, he wrote numerous
songs and piano i>ieces, so that his father resolved
to give him a master in composition, and fixed his
choice on Bernard Anselme Weber, then leader of
the orchestra at the Beriin Opera. But this artist,
very distinguished in his way, and who could give
excellent advice on dramatic style, instrumentation,
etc., was not himself sufficiently versed in the science
of counleri>oint and fugue to be able to guide a
pupil in this difficult study. Moreover, he showed
himself too easily satisfied with Meyerbeer's efforts.
One day when the latter brought him a fugue, he
could not conceal his admiration, and, regarding it
as a masterpiece, thought he would send it to the
celebrated AbbS Vogler, who had been his own
teacher, hoping thereby to prove to him that he,
Weber, was able to form good pupils. For several
weeks they anxiously awaited the Abba's response,
which arrived at length in the form of a bulky pack-
age. On opening it, they found that the contents
were divided into three parts. The first constituted
a sort of practical treatise on the fugue, written by
Vogler's own hand, and in which all the rules for
this kind of comjiosition were set forth in a precise
and succinct manner. The second part, which was

474

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

called The Scholar's Fugue, reproduced that of
Meyerbeer, analyzed step by step throughout its
development, with remarks which proved super-
abundantly that it was far from being good. The
third part, entitled The Master's Fugue, was that
which Vogler had constructed on Meyerbeer's theme,
analyzed in all its details and in its ensemble, with
an explanation of the reasons which justified its
general form and all the incidents.

Meyerbeer was greatly impressed by the theories
set forth by Vogler. He immediately put himself
to work again and wrote a new fugue of eight parts,
according to this master's principles, which he sent
directly to Vogler at Darmstadt, his place of resi-
dence. The latter replied at once, expressing his
satisfaction, and the confidence which this new work
gave him in his future as an artist, and inviting him
to come to Darmstadt ; " I will receive you like a
son," said he, " and you shall slake your thirst at the
very sources of musical knowledge." Meyerbeer,
delighted at this kind invitation, easily obtained
from his father the necessary permission, and was
soon on his way to Darmstadt.

The school of the Abb^ Vogler was celebrated at
that time throughout Germany, and this master,
who had studied in Italy with Vallotti and Martini,
was considered one of the first theoreticians of his
time. One thing is certain, and that is, that he
turned out excellent pupils, of whom some won
great renown, and others became more or less
famous. Among these were Knecht and Ritter,
who themselves became remarkable theoreticians ;
the composers who were formed by the lessons and
counsels of Vogler were Winter, Gansbacher and
the two immortal artists Carl Maria von Weber and
Meyerbeer. It was at Vogler's house that these last
two met for the first time, and formed a friendship
which was broken only by the death of Weber. In
after years Weber deplored the Italian tendencies
of Meyerbeer, who, in the first days of his career,
threw his whole being into the imitation of Rossini's
style, but in spite of this divergence of artistic views
the affection which these two friends felt for one
another was never altered nor disturbed for a single
instant.

Indeed, all the pupils who lived at the Abb^
Vogler's house entertained pleasant and affectionate
relations toward each other, and a touching respect
and profound tenderness for their excellent master.
One proof of this, among many others, is the fact

that after Weber's death a cantata was found
among his papers, bearing the following inscription :
" Cantata written by Weber for Vogler's birthday,
and set to music by Meyerbeer and Gansbacher."
In fact, Weber, who was a very ready verse-maker,
had written the words of this cantata, while Meyer-
beer had composed the music of the choruses and
a trio, and Gansbacher had been charged with that
of the soli. It is probable also that the cantata was
sung by the pupils of the school.

This house of Vogler's was patriarchal; the life
there was very austere, very much occupied, and
the time of the pupils was exclusively devoted to
severe study and practice of the art. In the morn-
ing, after the regular exercises, the master gave his
class an oral lesson in counterpoint. Then, giving
them for treatment any musical subject, sacred or
profane, a psalm, motet, kyrie, ode, dramatic scene,
he demanded of them a severe composition. In
the evening, all being assembled in the presence of
the master, the compositions were performed, after
which each work was analyzed theoretically, com-
mented on, criticised, estimated, not only by the
professor, but again by all the pupils, so that each
of them, after having been judged, became in his
turn the judge of his own attempts and those of his
rivals. It cannot be denied that this was an ex-
cellent system of education, and one calculated to
foster in the minds of the pupils reflection and the
sentiment of criticism. On a Sunday the whole
household went to the cathedral, which contained
two organs ; Vogler played one of them, while each
of his pupils, in turn, took his place at the other,
after the fashion of a kind of academic tourney, in
which each endeavored to develop in a happy and
artistic manner the subject improvised and set forth
by the master.

It was during his residence at the Abb(^ Vogler's
house that Meyerbeer wrote, for the purpose of
forming his hand, a great number of pieces of sacred
music, which he always refused to make known to
the public. It was at this period also that he com-
posed an oratorio, Gofl und die Natur, which was
his first piece publicly performed. He had been
two years at Darmstadt, when Vogler, wishing to
give his pupils a rest, and to fortify their minds by
the contemplation of the beauties of nature, closed
his school and undertook with them an excursion
through Germany. It was just before his departure
on this expedition that Meyerbeer had obtained a

GIACOMO MEYERBEER

475

performance of his oiatorio, which resulted in the
grand duke of Hesse conferring on him the title of
composer to ihe cour^. This oratorio was brought
out at Berlin a short time after, May 8, i8i t, in a
concert given by Weber at the Royal Theatre, where
the solos were sung by Eunike, Grell and Frl.
Schmalz. '

This was the starting point of Meyerbeer's active
career. We shall soon see him make his appear-
ance as composer and virtuoso at the same time

(for Meyerbeer was an exceptional pianist), then
promptly abandon his success as a performer in
order to give himself up without reserve to compo-
sition, with the theatre for his objective point. He
was eager for glory and aimed at a great reputation,
feeling himself equal to any effort for reaching his
end ; it is this which explains the hesitations and
evasions of his youth. Desirous of meeting success,
withal patient, persevering and gifted with an energy
which nothing could baffle, he sought it in all

EIGHTH YEAR.

possible ways, but, whatever his critics may say,
without ever sacrificing his convictions, and while
always preserving for his art, as well as for the
public, the most complete, the most absolute
respect. His first works performed in Germany,
written in a somewhat scholastic form, jierhaps a
little pedantic, did not succeed according to his
desire, because Germany at that time, like Italy
herself, was under the spell of Rossini's music. He
accordingly betook himself to Italy, and there wrote

several operas in which he forced himself to adopt
the style and methods of that master. It was this
that brought down upon him the reproaches of
Weber, irritated to see him, a German, deny the
national genius, and submit, like so many others, to
the inlluence of the author of the Barber of Seville.
But in spite of the criticisms of his friend, Meyer-
beer, who had seen his works received with favor
in Italy, continued his career in that country, where
he trained his hand and prepared the evolution

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

to free his geoius and direct him to drama for soprano, clarinet obligate and chorus (the

France, there to write his incomparable master-
pieces. For Meyerbeer, like (iluck before him,

clarinetist figured as a personage of the drama)
entitled The Lares of Tevclind, then with a comic
opera in two acts, entitled Ahimeiek, or The fwo
Caliphs, performed at the court theatre. This lat-
ter, written in the somewhat heavy style of yephtha's
Daughter, found no favor with a public which, at
tliat period, was under the complete influence of
Italian music. Meyerbeer was very much affected
by this failure, and took his troubles to Salieri, who
was then imperial capellmeister at Vienna. Salieri,
who had taken a great fancy to him, and who had
confidence in his fiiture, consoled him as best he
could, lavished encouragement upon him, and coun<
selled him to make a trip into Italy. " There," said
he, "you will learn to ripen your talent, to train
your hand, and particularly to make a better disjKJsi-
tion of the voices in your compositions and to write
for them in a more rational and less fatiguing man-

CARICAIURE BUST OF MEYERBEER, BY DANTAN.
Finm th* CirniyiUt Muhuti, P(r;i.

gave to France alone the full measure of his worth ;
like Gluck, it is to France that he owes his greatest
triumphs and the best part of his glory ; like (Iluck,
he lived to see his Italian operas laid aside and
well-nigh forgotten, whereas his French operas made
the tour of civilized lands, and are still played on
all the stages of the world.

It was after his trip with Vogler and his fellow-
students that Meyerbeer decidedly entered his
career, though not without some fumbling. In 1813
we find him at Munich, where he gave an unsuccess-
ful performance of Jephlha's Daughter, an opera in
three acts, which had much the flavor and style of
an oratorio. Disheartened by the result, he left very
soon for Vienna, resolved to make known there his
exceptional talent as pianist. In this capacity he
achieved triumph after triumph in the capital of
Austria ; his execution was solid and brilliant, and at
the same time full of poetry and charm. He played
at these concerts a great number of his own com-
positions, which have never been published. At
the same time he came twice before the Vienna
public as dramatic composer, first with a mono-

At that time Rossini was the king of musical
Italy, and the enthusiasm produced by his works
was beginning to take from the renown of such
richly inspired artists as Cimarosa, (Juglielmo, Sarti,
I'aisiello, his immediate predecessors. Everybody
knows the influence which was exerted all over
musical P^urope for half a century, by the exuberant
and sensual, though charming and seductive, genius
of the author of the Barber and Cenerenlola. All
the artists, not only of Italy, but of France as well
and some even of Germany, came under this in-
fluence to a greater or less extent. Meyerbeer es-
caped it no more than the rest; one might even
say that he had no desire to escape it. He went
straight from Vienna to Venice, where he arrived
just at the height of Tancreiii's immense success in
that city ; this opera, by the way, was one of the
most personal, most vivacious and most savory
works from RosSini's pen. He could not resist the
charm of this chivalresque and enchanting music,
and he was so captivated by the eclat of the Ros-
sinian forms that he began to assimilate them as
rapidly as possible.

It is probable, however, that he reflected longer
than peo])le have hitherto given him credit for, on
the transformation which he allowed to operate in
his talent, for it was not until he had spent several
years in Italy, that is to say in 18 1 8, that he ap-
peared to the public of that country for the first
time. \\'ith his calm and meditative mind, with his

BUST OF MEYERBEER, BV DANTAN,
From the Carnavalet Museum, Paris.

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

studious and persevering nature, we may suppose
that he employed his time in working silently, in
solitude, to modify his style, to acquire the assur-

CARICATURE OF MCVERBEER.

ance which he lacked, to give elegance and facility
to the forms of his melody, without compromising
thereby the sentiment of a rich and abundant har-
mony, the beauties of an original and vigorous in-
stra mentation. It was not, then, until after this
complete remodelling of his early education, this
training of his faculties, that he decided to brave
the stage anew, and to solicit the a]>prol)ation of a
public to whom he was quite unknown. If this
Italian career of Meyerbeer, of which I am about
to give a brief review, offers only a secondary inter-
est from the standpoint of the value of his works,
it offers a very great one as a transitional stage,
covering as it does the period of the development
of his genius, and the evolution by which he was
prejiaring himself for the great nwsierpieces with
which he was to endow the French lyric stage, those
masterpieces which were to seal his glory and render
his fame universal.

It was at Padua, July lo, 1818, that he gave his
first Italian opera, RomiUa e Costanza, the princi-
pal rule of which was written (or Fisaroni, one of
the most illustrious canlatrices of that period. From
the very first performance the opera was a great
success, and he immediately wrote another work,
Semiramide ricmwsdiila, on an ancient poem of
MiJtastasio, which he brought out at the Royal
Theatre at Turin in 1819. The following year he
gave to the San Heneiletto Theatre of Venice, his
third opera, Emma cii Reihurj^o, which met with en-
thusiastic success at a moment when, on this very
stage, Rossini had just triumphed with his Eiiouarilo
e Christina. This work fully established his repu-
tation in Italy, all the great cities esteemed it an
honor to present him to their public, and every-
where he obtained the most complete success.
This was not all. The (Jermans themselves, who
made a point of disparaging Italian music, made
two translations of this opera ; one of them, Emma
von Leiceiter, was played at Vienna, Dresden, Mu-
nich and Frankfort ; the other, Emma von Roxburg,
was performed at Berlin and Stuttgart. It may be
well to recall here that the stdjject of this work was
borrowed from the French opera Helena, by Mehul.

This colossal success opened to Meyerbeer the
doors of the largest theatres of Italy, The first of
them all, the Scala of Milan, immediately ordered a
great work of him. It was Mar^htrita /i'Aiigiit,
which was performed at this theatte Nov. 14, 1820,
where it was sung by Tacchinardi, Levasseur and
Rosa Mariani, Here, again, the success was com-
plete, and Mar^herila d'Aiigiii, almost immediately
translated and performed in Germany, was after-
wards translated into French for representation at the
Odiion. On March ii, 1822, Meyerbeer gave to
the Scala theatre the opera PEsii/f tfi Granala, the
first roles of which were confided to the tenor
Winter, to Liblache, to Mmes. Fisaroni, Adebide
Tosi and Carolina Bassi. But the last triumphs of
the composer had excited envy ; jealousy awoke on
every siile, and a cabal was organized for the pur-
pose of crushing this new work. The first act in-
deed fell flat, thanks to this cabal, and the second
seemed doomed to the same fate, when a beautiful
lUiP, admirably sung by Lablache and Fisaroni came
just in time to save all, and change into a triumph
the fall which had appeared inevitable.

.-\fter this new success, Meyerbeer's health failed
him. He had gone to Rome, where he was to

GIACOMO MEYERBEER

bring out an opera m two acts entitled Almanzor.
He had begun to write the score, when the state of
his health obliged him to stop work and seek abso-
lute rest. As soon as he was able he went to Ger-
many, where he passed the whole of the year 1823,
now at Berlin, now at some watering place. In the
course of this year he wrote a German opera, The
Brandehurg Gale, which was intended for the
Konigstadt theatre, but which, it is not known why,
was never performed. He then returned to Italy,
where awaited him the last and greatest triumphs
in that country.

It is here that this second phase of Meyerbeer's
remarkably active and productive career will come
to a close. \Ve may be sure that he had already
felt a desire to work for the French stage, whither
the very nature of his powerful and profoundly
dramatic genius seemed to call him. We are now
to see him direct his efforts towards this end, pre-
paring himself for the change by his last Italian
work, written in a more elevated, loftier strain than
the preceding ones, and which seemed to indicate
on his part a fixed determination to create another
distinct manner. In order to attain this third and
last manner, ingrafted, as it were, on the two preced-
ing ones, it was necessary for him to adopt a method
analogous to the one which he had used on arriving
in Italy. Just as he had to abandon, on touching
foot to Italian soil, everything in his style which
might appear too scholastic, heavy and formal, so, in
going to France, he was obliged to lay aside the
affected elegance, frivolous grace and superficial
language of the Italian forms. He endeavored to
retain and combine the best elements in the various
schools, — to unite the melodic sentiment of Italy
to the harmonic richness of Germany, and to join
to these the picturesque coloring, the passionate
ardor, and above all the sense of dramatic truth
which are the characteristic qualities of the French
musical school. It was then, after he had trans-
formed his style by this fusion of three different but
not antagonistic elements, the union of which must
form a harmonious and well balanced whole, after he
had become master both of his thought and of the
idea which should clothe it, it w.is then that he
found himself in full possession of himself and of
his genius and that he became the great man whose
name was universally known and whose works every-
where challenged admiration.

The great work of transition with which Meyer-

beer was to crown his brilliant career in Italy and
prepare his future triumphs on the French stage,
was called- // Crocialo Egilto. This opera, con-

GIACOMO MEYERBEER.

ceived in a broad and severe style, plainly showed
the new preoccupations of his mind and gave a
glimpse of his approaching evolution. The distinct
individuality of the composer showed itself in this
remarkable score, in which it was easy to see his
inclination for energetic and vigorous expression of
the grand dramatic situations. 11 Croeiaio, brought
out at the Fenice theatre, Venice, Dec. 26, 1814,
had for its principal interpreters Mme. M^rie-La-
lande, l^blache and Velluti. Its success was im-
mense, and it soon made the tour of all Italy. This
success was so great as to move Paris, and the duke
of Rochefoucauld, then superintendent of the royal
theatres, immediately arranged to have (/ Crociato
played at the TheAtre Italien. He wrote to the
composer, inviting him to come and supervise the
staging of his opera and direct the rehearsals. The
roles were given to Danzelli, Levasseur, Mmes. Pasta,
Monbelli, Schiaseiti and Giovanola. This was the
first of Meyerbeer's works performed at Paris, and
its success was as great as in Italy.

Henceforth Meyerbeer was to belong entirely to
France. After having seen his Crociato played at

48o

FAAfOUS C OAf POSERS

the Italic n^ he had the satisfaction of seeing his
Margherifa (TAngiii translated into French and per-
formed successfully at the Oiicon. It was to this
last fact that he owed the speedy gratification of his
desire to work for the musical stages of France,
although, owing to an unexpected series of events,
he was obliged to await for several years the repre-
sentation of his first work, and this work, written
with the Opera Comique in view, had to be com-
pletely transformed and adapted for the Opera,
This is the way it happened.

The subject of the Italian opera of Margherifa
d'Angiit had been taken from a French drama, Mar-
guerite (VAttjou^ played in 1810 at the Gaite theatre,
and the author of which was Guilbert de Piexer-
court. The two very naturally made each other's
acquaintance, Piexe: court's authorization being nec-
essar)' for the representation on a French stage of
a foreign opera whose subject belonged to him.
An intimacy sprung up between them, and Meyer-
beer profited by it to ask Piexercourt for a poem to
set to music for the Opera Comique. The latter
willingly consented, confided to him Robert le Diable,
by Scribe, and the composer immediately set to
work. The rules of Robert le Viable were to be
distributed as follows : Ponchard (Robert), Huet
(Bertram), Mme. Boulanger (Alice) and Mme. Ri-
gaud (Isabella). Obliged in the meantime to make
a Irip to Berlin, Meyerbeer took the poem with him,
in order to continue the work during his absence.
But while he was in (iermany a little revolution took
place at the Opera Comique which resulted in Guil-
bert de Piexercourt being dispossessed of his office
of director. What happened then? All the particu-
lars are not known, but Robert -wd^s withdrawn from
the Opera Comique, Scribe enlarged and trans-
formed his poem, Meyerbeer rewrote his score, and
the work was carried to the Opera, It is easy to
understand that all this occasioned a long delay.
But this was not all. The revolution of 1830 oc-
curred, which brought everything to a standstill,
and which, after the change of dynasty at the head
of the country, brought about a change in the man-
agement of the Opera, where Lubbert was replaced
by the famous Dr. Vcron. The latter hesitated a
good deal about mounting so important a work by
a composer as yet Httle known in France, although
he had achieved great success elsewhere. He finally
decided in its favor, however, the roles were dis-
tributed to Nourrir, Levasseur, Mmes. Dorus Gras

and Cinti-Damoreau, and Robert le Viable w^as
finally performed Nov. 22, 1831.

However, Meyerbeer was still to grow, and les
Huguenots, performed at the Opera, Feb. 21, 1836,
was to be the crowning point of his glory. It
should be said that he was admirably served by his
collaborator Scribe. The latter, after ha\nng given
him the fantastic poem of Robert, wrote for him the
the passionate, pathetic and dramatic poem of the
Huguenots, which revived at the same time a splendid
page of history, in which he introduced, in the
happiest manner, a picturesque element which per-
mitted the artist to vary his palette and give to each
episode a color of its own. The most diverse and
powerful situations abound in this superb poem, and
it is just to declare that Meyerbeer has interpreted
them with an incomparable genius.

After the Huguenots three years passed during
which France received no new work from Meyer-
beer. Meanwhile people had much to say about
the Prophete ; but Meyerbeer, exceptionally anxious
about the good execution of his works, not finding
in the personnel of the Opera at that time the artists
of whom he had dreamed for this work, waited
patiently. Moreover, the office of capellmeis-
ter of the king of Prussia, to which he had been
appointed, called him often to Berlin during this
period. It was in this capacity that he composed
a grand Italian cantata, la Festa nella corte di Per-
rara, which was performed at court in 1843, and a
(ierman opera in three acts, A Camp in Silesia,
composed for the inauguration of the new
royal theatre of Berlin (Dec. 7, 1844) and which
was rather coldly received. It was at this time also
that he published, with French words, a great num-
ber of admirable songs, of which a collection in
four volumes has recently been formed in Paris.
It was during this period that he composed the
beautiful music for his brother's drama, Struensee,
and his first March (Fackeltanz), performed for the
marriage of the princess Wilhelmina of Prussia with
the king of Bavaria.

Finally, on April 16, 1849, ^^^ Prophete, so long
expected, made its appearance at the Paris Opera,
interpreted by Roger (Jean de Leyde), Levasseur
(Jacharie), Mme. Viardot (Fides) and Mme. Castel-
lan (Bertha).

Le Pardon de Ploermel was the last of Meyer-
beer's works brought out before his death, which
occurred at Paris, May 2, 1864. For nearly twenty

GIACOMO MEYERBEER

481

years PA/ricaine had been under consideration, but
the master waked for this work as he had done
for le Prophete, until the personnel of the Opera
could offer him such artists as he deemed necessary
for its proper execution. Meanwhile, he had drawn
up instructions relative to this A/ricaine, which he
wished to have carried out after his death. Among
other things he requested that the rule of S^lika be
confided to Mme. Marie Lasse, and that of Vasco to
M. Naudin, whose voice he had admired at the
Th^d/re Italien. The direction of the Opera took

pains to conform to this posthumous desire and
VAfricaine appeared at this theatre, under the con-
ditions specified by the composer, April 28, 1865-
While fiilly taking into account the great value of
certain episodes of this work, it will surely be no
violation to Meyerbeer's memory to say that PA/ri-
caine has added nothing to his glory. Even with-
out FAfricaine he would still have remained one of
the most magnificent geniuses that has illumined
the art of the nineteenth century.

T0M3 OF T
llrhogrtph U*mo'

The transformation of the genre of the French
grand opera had begun with Auber's La Miielte lii-
Portici, performed in i8z8. La Miieite "110.% the first
work conceived in the new forms and in the vast
proportions of the school which was to succeed the
school of Gluck and his followers. The scenic
development, the pursuit of new and piquant har-
monies, the importance given to the orchestra ; all

this, joined to a more varied and less uniform melo-
dic expression, had produced a deep impression on
the public, and dethroned with a single blow the
ancient opera which had reigned for more than half
a century. Rossini had come later with his William
tell, in which the splendor of the style, the richness
of inspiration and the fullness of dramatic expres-
sion, all carried to their highest degree, had

483

FAMOUS COAf POSERS

marked an advance over the remarkable work
of the French composer, without, however, sur-
pnssing the latter's elegance and originality. With
R.'bert U Diable^ Meyerbeer, in his turn, struck a
note entirely personal, and in this work the passion-
ate vigor of accent, the power of orchestral combi-
nations, the particular character and relief given to
each of the personages, indicated a musician of a
new and profoundly original genius ; a genius more
complex than that of his predecessors, seeking for
effects in the detail as well as in the ensemble^ but
arriving like them, and by different means, at an
intensity of expression which was difficult to surpass.

It goes without saying that the score of Robert U
Viable contained suggestions of the forms adopted
by the author in the course of his Italian career.
This is especially noticeable in the first act and the
beginning of the second, and it would not have
been an easy matter to avoid it. But the general
style of the work has an incontestable grandeur,
the declamation, noble and powerful, assumes the
character of the French lyric declamation, the con-
trasts of situations are striking and managed with a
remarkable intelligence, and the color of the music,
its fantastic character, so well in accord with the
subject, are of such an intensity as to produce on the
hearer an ineffaceable impression. It is in the third
act especially, divided into two distinct parts, that
the genius of the composer is given full scope, and
attains its most complete magnificence. The comic
scene between Bertram and Raimbaut, that in which
voices from below call to Bertram, the dramatic scene
between Bertram and Alice, are all of a great beauty,
and the tableau following, that of the evocation of
nuns in the depth of their cloister, with the episode
of the seduction of Robert, is of a wonderful
poetry and grace, and contrasts in a striking manner
with that which precedes. In the fourth act it is
the human passion which speaks its most pathetic
language from the grand duet of Robert and Isa-
belle to the moment when the powerful finale comes
to prove to us that Gluck's genius and hi.s transports
are not unknown to the genius of Meyerbeer. As
to the fifth act, it is of an admirable dramatic
feeling.

The novelty of the forms and the hitherto un-
usual development of the score of Robert at first
surprised the public, which was cautious about
passing judgment. But surprise soon gave way to
admiration, admiration grew to enthusiasm, and

triumph, a triumph perhaps without precedent on
the French stage, welcomed a work so abounding in
beauties of a very high order. It is well known
how rapidly the whole world ratified the judgment
of the Parisian public.

Meyerbeer has been criticised for his Italian
souvenirs in his opera ies Huguenots^ particularly
that pretty air of Marguerite's in the second act,
charming in itself and from a strict musical point of
view, but which is evidently an aside, a concession
made to virtuosity, and which breaks the ensemble
and the unity of an otherwise strong, noble and
severe work. This fault aside, however, what a
masterpiece is this score of the Huguenots, in which
the interest steadily increases, and which, from the
first scene to the last, never ceases to rise higher
and higher ! Admiration knows not how to choose
nor where to pause, so constant and varied are the
demands made upon it, whether by the marvellous
tableaux, like that of the arrival of Raoul at Mar-
guerite's house, the picturesque curfew scene in the
third act, the duel scene which follows, the power-
ful episode of the benediction of the poignards in
the fourth, followed by the splendid duet of Raoul
and Valentine, finally the scene of the massacre of
the Huguenots in the fifth, — or by the delineation
of the characters, traced with a surprising vigor and
sureness of hand, such as those of Marcel, of Saint-
Bris and of Nevers, which make an ineffaceable
impression on the memory. And what color, what
style, what grandeur from the beginning to the end
of this work ! Whether it be the dramatic element
which dominates, as in the duel scene or that of the
conjuration, whether it be the pathetic and passionate
element, as in the duo of the lovers, whether it be
the popular and picturesque element, as in the
entire third act, the superiority of the artist is
always the same, always equally complete, with no
sign of weakness nor faltering. In this opera he
recalls with vividness and truth a world which has
disappeared, and his music is marvellously in accord
with the i>eriod which he undertakes to depict, the
personages which he presents to us, and even the
costumes of those personages. As to the inspiration,
always warm, noble and vigorous, it is of an inex-
pressible richness and power.

The austere subject of the opera of le Prophete,
in which the element of passion played only a very
secondary role, caused it to be received at first
with a certain reserve on the part of the public

0H0Mom(fhta6

Fac-simile of Meyerbeer's musical manuscript, written in 1852.

M^ CUJ^ LzK,. %u^ ^

/^/R/il?

<^^7T^p^

;^</^e^

Fac-simile of Meyerbeer's letter to his brother, written in 1837.

484

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

But Meyerbeer had never been better inspired, and
the nobleness, the grandeur and the severity of the
style of this composition raises it to a level which
he did not exceed. The beautiful introduction to
the first act, the scene of the three anabaptists, the
marvellous ballet of skaters, the arioso of Fid^s in
prison, a truly sublime and pathetic page, finally the
grand tableau of the cathedral, are so many superb
and living proofs of Meyerbeer's powerful and ver-
satile genius. The public grew to admire the
beauties of this bold and dignified work; as to the

artists, there are many who unhesitatingly place the
Prophete above all that he has written for the stage ;
for myself, I divide my highest admiration between
le Prophete and les Huguenots.

The success of rEtoUe du Nord, performed at
the Opera- Comiqiie, Feb. i6, 1854, was much more
spontaneous and considerable than that of the
Prophete at the Opera. Yet, after the lapse of forty
years, the latter is still played on all the stages of
the world, whereas t Etoile du Nord is well-nigh
forgotten. Assuredly there are some beautiful

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ACADKMIi: ROYAr.K DK MUSIQUK.

AIJOLRDIILl LIM»I 29 FEVRIER 1836,

LA PREMIERE REPRiSENTAHOIf JOES

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se roni p;i»i^puverts.

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L BILLBOARD OF riBSr PERFORMANCE

HE HUGUENOTS.

pages in this score, in which Meyerbeer embodied
several pieces from his Cerman opera, A Camp
in Silesia, and esi)eiially should be mentioned
the songs and the ballad of Catherine in the first
act, the quintet in the second, the superb song
of Pierre in the third, as well as the comic duct and
trio ; but the work is essentially lacking in unity, it
is too heavy as a whole, and the orchestration is too
noisy and brilliant for the demi-charactet of the
opera. Meyerbeer was much better inspired in Ic
Pardon de Ploermel (Dinorah), given also at the
Opera-Comique, April 4, 1839, 'ITiis work . con-

tains some exquisite pages, among which I will
mention iiarticularly the overture with invisible
chorus, HoijI's air in the first act, the drinking cho-
rus and the trio in the second, and the touching and
melancholy .song of Hoel in the third. Unfortu-
nately the insignificance and emptiness of the li-
bretto have always been a drawback to this beautiful

What are the salient traits of Meyerbeer's genius,
and what influence has this genius exerted upon his
contemporaries ? Such is the double question which
presents itself to us in the presence of the works of

GIACOMO MEYERBEER

485

this great man. First of all should be remarked his
power of inspiration and power of conception. He
was the first to give to France the example of these
five-act operas of colossal dimensions, the perform-
ance of which requires fully five hours, and the
richness, the power of his inspiration is such that so
far from weakening during the course of these five
long acts, it is often higher, more sublime at the end
than at the beginning. Witness the fifth acts of
all his great works ; Robert^ les Huguenots^ le Pro-
phecy PAfricaine ; every one of them is a master-
piece ! As to the power of conception, that myster-
ious faculty of unifying the different parts of a work
so large and complex as each of his operas, and
forming of them a harmonic, homogeneous whole, it
is trully marvellous, and indicates a peculiarly or-
ganized and quite exceptional musical brain. Ev-
erything, indeed, is to be found in his works ;
dramatic sentiment is carried to its highest power,
the musical style is full of splendor, the general form
is superb, the harmony is solid and substantial, and
the union of the voices with the instruments admits
of no criticism. If there were any fault to be found
with him it would be in the excess of sonority,
sometimes overwhelming, which he gives to the or-
chestra. But on the other hand, how much he has
improved the orchestra, giving it increased interest
and life, as well as variety of color, of timbre and of
effect ! What an important part it takes in certain
situations, and how carefully, conscientiously and
cleverly it is managed !

Conscience, indeed, was one of Meyerbeer's mas-
ter qualities. Others, so richly gifted, might per-
haps have been content to follow the course of their
inspiration, without taking the trouble to enrich it, to
fortify it with the aid of all the means which art
puts at the disposal of the composer. He neglected
nothing, no detail, no effect, no method that enabled
him to augment his resources, to complete his

thought, in a word, to attain perfection, or what
he believed to be perfection. Nothing dismayed
him, he spared no pains to realize his ideal, to ob-
tain the result at which he aimed, and he never felt
that he had done a thing so well that it could not
be improved. Thus his works have the solidity of
marble and the strength of iron. And if a blemish
be sometimes discovered in them, it is like the
spots on the sun, which do not interfere with its
dazzling light.

In regard to the influence exerted by Meyer-
beer upon his contemporaries, although genuine
and unmistakable, it cannot be said to be so com-
plete or so general as that exerted by Rossini. And
this is due to the nature of his genius, which was
very complex, and in which cerebral reflection and
the combination of means held as important a place
as inspiration properly speaking. It was easy to
imitate, without obtaining the same results, the
methods and the forms employed by Rossini (I
refer to the Italian Rossini, and not the Rossini of
William Tell) ; very much less easy was it to imitate
the forms and the methods of Meyerbeer, these
being not only more complicated, more varied, but
essentially dependent on the subject, on the situa-
tions, on the episodes. This is why Meyerbeer's in-
fluence has been mainly felt in the conception and
general form of a work, and has been much less
sensible in technical detail and musical method.

In closing, I would say that Meyerbeer is one of
the noblest, most glorious artists who have ever
shed lustre not only upon the French stage, but on
musical art as applied to the theatre. A great mu-
sician, but especially a great dramatic musician, he
has power, nobility, bold and heroic inspiration,
and above all the gift of emotion, of that poignant
and vigorous emotion which stirs the spectator,
wrings his heart, lays hold upon his very vitals, and
forces the tears from his eyes.

JOHANN STRAUSS

jhetagrniili fnm lift «/ U( gmaigfr Joliann Slntn*.
td bg RilchaiH A Undmr, Berlin. 1887.

STRAUSS

HE name of Slrauss bids fair to
become as numerously represent-
ed in the annals of Nineteenth
("entury music as was that of Bach
in the seventeenth and eighteenth
; with this difference, however, that while
the Bachs were all of one family, three of the
Slrausses who have become sufficiently famous to
win a place in the musical dictionaries are not
related to the other three or tour. It is with those
that are related, the family of Johann Strauss, the
Viennese " Waltz -King," that this article is con-
cerned,

A few years ago (1887) the famous Leipsic pub-
lishing house of Breitlcopf and Hartel commenced

countenanced, and at the age of fourteen he was
sent to a book-binder to learn his trade; but he
soon tired of this work and when his master added
insnlt to injury by forbidding him to play the violin,
he packed up his beloved instrument and his few
other possessions and ran away. In a suburb of
Vienna he came across a friend who induced him
to return to his parents, whom he persuaded at the
same time to give up opposing his musical inclina-
tions. So he received regular lessons and was soon
able to play in a small local orchestra.

As luck would have it, another musician, who was
destined to be Strauss's colleague and' rival, Joseph
I-inner, was at that time beginning his brilliant
career in Vienna. He was four years older than
other

the issue of a complete collection of the waltzes, Strauss, and had associated himself with twi

polkas, and other dance pieces of the elder Johann musicians for the purpose of playing in the cafSs

Strauss. The first volume has an interesting though which abounded in that city. Strauss begged per-

brief biographic sketch by Johann Strauss, Jr., who mission to join this club, and was accepted as viola

relates some of his personal reminiscences of his player, one of his duties being the passing around

father, besides other facts previously known to the of the plate for collections. There was so much

public. " My father," he says in the opening para-
graph, "was a musician by the grace of God.
Had he not been guided by an inner, irresistible
impulse, the difficulties which confronted him in
his youth would have pushed him into another
path."

It is interesting to note how this " impulse "
would have its own way, as in the case of other
famous musicians, notwithstanding parental oppo-
sition. Strauss was bom at Vienna on March 14,
1804. When he was a mere child he used to amuse
himself (as Haydn had done in his childhood) by
taking two sticks and imitating the movements of a
fiddler. Great was his joy when his father, having
discovered this instinctive trait, made him a presi nt
of a small violin and allowed him to take lessons
on it in the primary school. But this was as far as
parental encouragement went. Little Johann's de-
sire to become a professional musician was not

animation and true musical feeling in the perform-
ances of this club that it became immensely popular
and soon Lanner found it impossible to accept all
the engagements that were offered. This led him
to engage more musicians and ultimately to divide
his orchestra into two smaller ones, over one of
which he himself presided, while Strauss was placed
at the head of the other.

But Strauss was an ambitious man, and after this
companionship had lasted six years (1819-1815) he
made his " declaration of independence " of lan-
ner and conducted an orchestra of his own, which
soon became "all the rage" in Vienna. His son
has sketched this important episode so eloquently
that I cannot do better than translate his words:
" The public now learned to know him as an inde-
pendent conductor, and as such he soon became so
popular that the dance-loving Viennese were divided
into two parties — the Lannerianer adA the Strauss-

488

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

ianer — each of which championed its idol with
ardor. It redounds to the credit of the good old
times that this partisanship could not cloud the
personal relations between Lanner and Strauss, who
continued to remain good friends. Their profes-
sional separation at this time was brought about by
another circumstance : my father accidentally dis-
covered his talent for composition. Composing
was obviously at that time an easier matter than it
is to-day. To produce a polka, contemporary mu-
sicians study the whole literature of music and per-
haps a few philosophical systems too. Formerly,
only one thing was needed to compose : One had
to have a happy thought, as the popular saying is
{/s mussU Einem was ein/allefi). And strange to
say, these happy thoughts always came. Self-confi-
dence in this respect was so great that we of the old
school {7oir Alteti) frequently announced for a cer-
tain evening a new waltz of which on the morning
of the same day not a single note was written. In
such a case the orchestra usually went to the com-
poser's house, and as soon as the latter had finished
a part it was immediately copied for the orchestra.
Meantime, the miracle of the * happy thought * re-
peated itself for the other parts of the waltz ; in a
few hours the piece was completed, whereupon it
was rehearsed, and in the evening it was played
before a usually enthusiastic public.

" Lanner — light-hearted and careless — hardly
ever composed any other way. One morning it
happened that he felt ill and unable to work, while
a new set of waltzes had been promised for the
evening, and of course not a bar was on paper.
He sent my father the simple message : * Strauss,
see if you can think of something ' (in the quaint
Viennese dialect : Strauss^ schauerCs dass Ihnen was
fin/dilt,) — In the evening the new waltz was played
— as Lanner's, of course — and was received with
extraordinary favor. This circumstance, combined
with his marriage in the same year, induced my
father to secure his independence. He organized
at first a quintet, but after barely a year his orches-
tra already numbered fourteen men. At what rate
his fame and his popularity both as composer and
conductor grew, is a thing of which we, in these
prosaic days, can hardly have a conception. The
years 1830 to 1836, during which my father pre-
sided over the music at the Sperl, will always remain
memorable in the history of music at Vienna. The
audiences were enormous, the enthusiasm unbound-

ed, and as my father was persuaded to accept engage-
ments for other amusement places too, he had at
his disposal, during the carnival, about two hundred
musicians. From this he selected a corps of eiiUs
— his Stammorcheskr — which he succeeded by
unceasing rehearsals in bringing to a point of per-
fection such as no other private orchestra had ever
reached. Visitors to Vienna carried the fame of
these musicians to other parts of the world, and
invitations soon came to him to play in other cities."

The rest of Johann Strauss's life is simply a
record of his triumphs in the cities of Germany,
Holland, France, Belgium and England, as well as in
Vienna, where he was appointed director of the
Court balls in 1835. From 1833 to 1849, the year
of his death, he made a tour almost every year, and
he was the first musician, so far as the records show,
who undertook to travel with a whole orchestra.
In 1837-38 his tour extended as far as Paris and
London. In evidence of his great success in Paris
it is related that when he gave a series of thirty
concerts in conjunction with the popular Musard,
whose orchestra played after Strauss's, one half of
the audience usually left the hall after Strauss had
finished his part of the program. In London he
arrived most opportunely about the time of Queen
Victoria's coronation, when merry music was in great
demand, and here he gave no fewer than seventy-
two concerts, besides playing at many balls. Lon-
don, however, did not agree with his health. At
his first visit he fell ill there, and his second visit, in
1849, proved fatal, for he brought with him the
germs of disease (scarlet fever) to which he suc-
cumbed shortly after his return to Vienna. He died
on Sept. 25, aged 45. All the Viennese joined in
doing him homage, and a vast concourse — his son
says one hundred thousand — accompanied his cof-
fin to the grave.

Regarding his personal appearance, Herr C. F.
Pohl, the Viennese librarian says, that " though small
he was well made and distinguished looking,
with a singularly formed head. His dress was al-
ways neat and well chosen. Though lively in com-
pany, he was naturally rather silent. From the
moment he took his violin in his hand he became
another man, whose whole being seemed to expand
with the sounds he drew from it." In his own
home the "Waltz- King," who contributed so much
to ball-room merriment, appears to have been un-
happy. His father had been the keeper of a beer

FROM A PORTRAIT OF THE ELDER JOHANN STRAUSS IN EARLY MANHOOD.
Drawn and lithographed by C. Lutheier.

490

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

house, and he himself married the daughter of an
innkeeper, Anna Streim, from whom he was divorced
on the ground of incompatibility of temper, after
eighteen years. They had five children — two
daughters and three sons, Johann, Joseph and
Eduard, all three of whom have became famous in
the annals of dance music.

Eduard, the youngest, bom on Feb. 14, 1835,
has proved the least talented of the three. His com-
positions, numbering over two hundred, though
often piquant in harmony and cleverly orchestrated,
are deficient in melodic spontaneity and originality
and often a mere echo of his brother Johann's genius.
(There are melodious exceptions, the Doctrinen
Walzer, opus 79, e. g.) He is a good conductor of
dance music, and since the death of his brother
Josef, in 1870, and the retirement of Johann
from executive music in the same year, he has been
sole conductor of the Strauss orchestra at court
balls and in the Volksgarten.

Josef, the second of the brothers, had more
talent for composition than Eduard. He was of
delicate constitution and lived only forty- three
years (Aug. 22, 1827, to July 22, 1870), yet the
number of his original pieces is two hundred and
eighty-three, to which must be added about three
hundred arrangements. Some of his waltzes and
polkas — like the "Village Swallows " and " Woman's
Heart" — have become great favorites, and deserv-
edly so, but I cannot agree with the opinion, which
has been held, that he was the superior — or even
the equal — of his brother Johann. He was a good
pianist, and for a number of years divided with his
brothers the task of conducting the Strauss orches-
tra in Vienna.

We now come to Johann Strauss, the oldest of
the brothers, born Oct. 25, 1825, and still living.
It is not often that a man of genius has a son who
attains even greater eminence than himself, but in
this case the palm must be awarded to Johann
Strauss, Jr., whose creative power was not only
greater than that of his brothers, but soared into
regions of which even his father never dreamed.

His talent for music was manifested at a very
early age, but his father did not encourage it — for-
getting how much he himself had suffered in his
childhood from parental opposition to his natural
inclinations. It was Horace who remarked, almost
two thousand years ago, that no man is quite satis-
fied with his occupation, and everyone fancies he

would have been happier had he chosen some other
career. This may have been the reason why the
elder Strauss, in the midst of his honors and re-
markable popularity, decided that none of his sons
should become musicians. Johann was to be a
merchant, Josef an engineer, and for Eduard, too,
some non-musical employment would have been
selected had not his father died before he was
fourteen.

Fortunately for Johann, his mother secretly en-
couraged his fondness for music, allowing him to
take lessons on the violin and in composition. His
first waltz was written when he was only six years
old, and called his * First Thought.' That was sixty
years ago, and every one of these years has added
several waltzes to his list. As a conductor he made
his first venture at the age of nineteen, with a band
of his own ; and when his father died, five years
later, he took his place and remained at the head
of his orchestra for ten years. As an " orchestral
traveller" he was even more enterprising than his
father had been, for he extended his journeys
as far as America and St. Petersburg, being heard
at Gilmore's Jubilee at Boston in 1869, while in
St. Petersburg he gave a series of concerts even'
summer, from 1856 to 1866, always returning to
Vienna in winter to furnish the music for the court
festivities and the numerous other balls given in
that gay city during the carnival.

The eminent Viennese critic. Dr. Hanslick, a per-
sonal friend of Strauss, says of this early period
of his career: "The incessant dispenser of joys to
all Vienna, Father Strauss, was a tyrant at home.
The sons grew up amid the embittering and de-
moralizing impressions of an unhappy family life.
Finally Johann emancipated himself, trusting in his
talent, of which he felt certain, and on that Dom-
mayer-evening suddenly came forth as a musical
rival of his father. The first three works, with
which he made his d^but, were the waltzes, ' Gunst-
werber,' * Sinngedichte ' and the * Herzenslust' Polka.
. . . The young man's animal spirits, so long re-
pressed, now began to foam over; favored by his
talent, intoxicated by his early successes, petted by
the women, Johann Strauss passed his youth in wild
enjoyment, always productive, always fresh and en-
terprising, at the same time frivolous to the point of
adventurousness. As in appearance he resembles
his father, handsomer, however, more refined and
modern, so also his waltzes had the unmistakable

JOSEPH STRAUSS.
. lithograph by Maunn. at the Paris Opera Library

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

Strauss family physiognomy, not without a ten-
dency to originality. Our Viennese, the most ex-
pert judges in such matters, at once recognized the
budding talent of the young Strauss, who promised
soon to overtake his famous parent."

For more than a quarter of a
century Strauss continued to devote
himself to the creation and the
conducting of dance music ; and
the number of his pieces in this
genre rose to over three hundred.
His opus 514 was the " Kliie Dan-
ube Waltz," which has since be-
come famous not only as a sort
of second Austrian national hymn,
by the side of Hay<ln's " Gott
erhalte Franz den Kaiser," but as
the transition to a new sphere of
activity. For it was rt vocal waitz,
being written for male chorus and
orchestra; and just as Beetho-
ven's choral symphony, according
to Wagner, pointed to the neces-
sity of the music-drama, so It seems
that Strauss used this vocal waltz
as a transition to the Viennese
operetta, a new style of stage-music muku

which owes its present form and
vogue chiefly to his genius.

It is said that Strauss's wife was largely instru-
mental in making him change his sphere from the
humble dance hall to the more ambitious theatre.
She was a famous singer and actress, named Jetty
Trefli, when Strauss married her in 1863, and if she
was really responsible for her husband's " new de-

parture

JOHANN STRAUSS (S>

," the world owes her a large debt of grati-
tude. She died in April, 1879, and toward the
close of the same year Strauss married the dramatic
singer, Angelica Diltrich.

Two years after his first marriage
he sent Eduard in his place to St.
Petersburg, and in 1870 he also
resigned his position as conductor
of the court balls in his brother's
favor. But if any one fancied that
he had lost his interest in music,
or, like Rossini, intended to retire
from active life when his triumph
was at its height, the error was
soon made manifest; for in 1871
Johann Strauss appeared on the
boards of the Theater an der Wien
with something which no one had
ever expected of him — an ope-
retta. "Indigo" was its name, and
its reception was sufficiently grati-
fying to encourage him to try an-
other and still another, with ever-
increasing success.

Some of these operettas — espe-
cially The Bat {Fledermaus') , the
p./r.^ '' Merry War, the Queen's Laee

Handkerchief, and the Gxpsy Baron
— became enonnously popular in
Austria, Germany and the United States (where they
have been sung successfully in both German and
English), and if anything had been needed to
make the " Waltz King " known to the whole world,
and admired by everybody, these operettas would
have brought about that result.

It is a strange but suggestive fact that although
no name is better known in the musical world than
that of the Strauss family, most of the histories of
music ignore it almost entirely. And why should
the erudite historians honor with their attention a
mere Strauss, who was only a man of genius and
never constructed any symphonies, oratorios, or
operas? Scores of composers are treated of in these
histories whose genius was not a tithe of that of
Johann Strauss, father or son; but because they
wrote a number of (tedious and now forgotten)

sonatas and symphonies, they are considered worthy
of attention by these writers ! F.ven Chopin has
often been treated by historians in a similar gin-
gerly manner, because he wrote hardly anything but
short pieces for the pianoforte ; as if there were
not more genius and beauty and sugge stive ness in
most of Chopin's five-minute pieces than in many
one-hour sym])honies and four-hour operas. The
same may be said of not a few Strauss waltzes.

Wherein lies this originality that entitles the
name of Strauss to so prominent a place in musical

^fiihm^ y/ia444d

Cjjnior.)

Vw^jf^f^iu 0it^ j ^^ztg

e^^ IraJU

</u

(Johann Strauss — Senior.>

494

FAMOUS COMPOSEIiS

history ? It lies partly in the individuality of their
style and ideas ; but still more in their having suc-
ceeded in making the waltz the most popular form
of modern dance- music throughout the civilized
world, and in the creation of a new style of operetta,
or comic opera. In the first of these achievements
all the members of the Strauss family have cooper-
ated, while in the last the credit belongs to the sec-
ond Johann alone.

To inoculate the world with a passion for a spe-
cial form of dance music is not such an easy thing
as it seems at first sight. National customs and in-
clinations stand in the way. As Rubinstein has re-
marked, " A melody which moves a Finn to tears
will leave a Spaniard cold, a dance rhythm which
makes a Hungarian skip will not disturb an Italian
in his rest, etc." To have made all the young
people in the world dance to the rhythm of the
Austrian waltz is, therefore, a feat which required the
magic power of genius for its performance. And
not only has the waltz been universally adopted, but
it has become the dance of dances, the modern
dance par excellenccy the rapturous dance in which
Xh^ you nf; people find an embodiment of the glowing
passion of love, while in the old-fashioned dances,
— the minuet at their head — it was the o/d people
and the chaperons who did the stiff and formal
dancing in a slow and stately movement.

Of course the honor of making the waltz cosmo-
politan does not belong to the Strausses alone.
The Austrian I^anner, the Bohemian I^bitzky, the
Hungarian (iungl and others had their share, but
they can be regarded merely as satellites, who could
only revolve around the world by revolving around
Strauss. Nor did Strauss invent the waltz. It "just
growed," like Topsy, among the people, and the
time and even the country of its origin are under
dispute. It was at Vienna however, about a century
ago, that it first came into notice ; and as it was
developed chiefly by Viennese composers, and is
danced most generally by the i)eople of that part of
Europe, the popular notion that Vienna is the home
of the waltz does not call for correction. A few
waltz- like ])ieces had been written by Mozart and
Beethoven, but they are, as Dr. Hanslick remarks,
"astonishingly dry and insignificant,'* and it re-
mained for that genuine Viennese genius Franz Schu-
bert, to first infuse true musical genius into this form
of composition. Schubert is the real originator of
the modern waltz, as of the Lied for the voice, ami

the song for the piano. In the Peters edition
there is, besides a volume of Schubert's Marches and
one of Polonaises, one of his " Dances " (seventy-
four pages), mostly waltzes, " valses nobles," " valses
sentimentales." No. 13 of the last name is tha(t
most exfiuisite piece which Liszt has made
such fine use of in his ** Soirees de Vienne," and
which may be regarded as the predecessor, and the
ec^ual, of the noble waltzes of Chopin, Rubinstein,
Brahms and other modern composers. Indeed,
these Schubert waltzes contain the germs of most
of the later developments of the waltz for the piano.

In thus giving Schubert his due we do not detract
from the merit of the elder Strauss. He was of
course far from having the genius of Schubert, but
he did a great work in transferring the Schubert
spirit to the orchestral and dance-waltz. For the
first time people came to caf^s and dance halls to
listen to music for its own sake instead of regarding
it merely as an aid to conversation and dancing.
Strauss not only had the gift of inventing original
themes, he also had the skill to clothe them in a
charming orchestral garb. Great composers, like
Cherubini, Meyerbeer and Mendelssohn, recognized
his talent, and Wagner wrote in 1863 that "a single
Strauss waltz surpasses in grace, refinement and real
musical substance, the majority of the oft-laboriously-
collected foreign products."

To quote Johann the younger once more on his
father : " He has borne the fame of German dance-
music over the whole world, and severe judges have
not hesitated to acknowledge that his gay and pitpant
rhythms bubbled from the pure fount of musical art.
As a conductor he had that indefinable quality which
carried away the performers, was communicated by
them to the hearers, and made their hearts and
pulses beat faster." He was the first to introduce
the custom of giving a name to his dance music, and
each of his pieces — including one hundred and fifty
waltzes, fourteen polkas, twenty-eight galops, nine-
teen marches, and thirty-five quadrilles, has its own
title, either characteristically Viennese, or referring
to his travels or the emotions which a dance piece is apt
to evoke, or purely fanciful. The quadrille was im-
l):)rted by Strauss from Paris. His marches are the
least interesting of his compositions, and his waltzes
the most fascinating and meritorious, the polkas
ranking next.

h\ his early waltzes the elder Strauss often be-
gins, like Schubert, without an introduction and

STRAUSS

495

ends with a very short coda. Gradually, however
(though with exceptions), the introduction and coda
assume greater dimensions; but it remained for
Johann the son to show how greatly the musical and
emotional value of the waltz can be increased by
elaborating the slow amorous introduction as
well as the coda, in which all the themes of the
preceding numbers can once more be brought
forward and ingeniously developed or combined.
Schubert's last set of waltzes consists of a chain
of twenty links or parts. The elder Strauss has
usually only five or six links in his chain ; and his
son shows a tendency to decrease that number to
three or four separate parts, while giving the in-
troduction the aspect of a short overture, with
several changes of tempo, often delightfully fore-
shadowing the waltz themes in a dreamy, passion-
ate and tender manner, as if interpreting the
thoughts of the young lovers who perchance are
looking forward to their first embrace in the dis-
guise of a waltz. In the " Stories from the Vienna
Forest" Waltzes, opus 325, the introduction covers
more than two pages of the piano score — one
hundred and twenty bars, with four changes
of tempo. The first number consists of forty-four
bars, whereas originally each number consisted of
eight or sixteen bars only ; and the coda of one
hundred and fifty-seven bars. And that this waltz,
like all his best ones, is intended quite as much for
the concert hall as for the ball room is indicated by
the signs for retarding or accelerating and by the
insertion of eighteen bars which are marked " to
be omitted in playing for a dance." I have noticed,
however, that at Viennese dances, when conduct-
ors, players, and dancers are simultaneously en-
tranced by the intoxicating Strauss music, there is
a slight tendency on the part of the couples to
yield to the rubato or capricious coquetry of move-
ment which is natural to this music. Such rubato
dancing raises that art itself to a poetic height ; but
it is perhaps vain to hope for it outside of a Vien-
nese dance hall.

As the younger Johann's waltzes ceased to be a
mere accompaniment to dancing and assumed the
function of interpreting the thoughts and feelings of
lovers as they are whirled along, " imparadised in
one another's arms," his harmonies became more
and more piquant and novel, his instrumentation
more tender, refined, dreamy and voluptuous. Ber-
lioz, himself, in orchestrating Weber's superb " Invi-

tation to the Dance," has not shown greater genius
for instrumentation than Strauss the son has in his
later waltzes. It might be said that whereas Haydn,
Mozart, and Beethoven built up the symphony from
dance forms, Strauss, conversely, applied the sym-
phonic resources of the orchestra to his dance
pieces. One can get no idea of their real charm at
the piano; but Americans have been fortunate in
having had in Mr. Theodore Thomas for many
years such a sympathetic and animated interpreter,
who knew how to give them the true Strauss swing.
Not all of these waltzes are of equal value, and
popularity is no test of merit. Thus, the " Blue
Danube " Waltz, of which over a million copies have
been sold, is really one of the poorest, just as Schu-
bert's Serenade is far from being his best song and
the Wedding March from being the gem of " Lo-
hengrin." Their number is enormous — 440 is the
opus number of the " Gross- Wien " Walzer, the last
one printed up to the end of 1891.

When Strauss turned to composing operettas,
there was great consternation, because it was feared
that the Carnival in Vienna and elsewhere would
have to dispense thereafter with its annual gifts
from his pen. These fears were unfounded; his
operettas were so full of waltz and polka buds and
full-blown roses, that it was easy to pick them for a
concert-hall and ball-room bouquet ; so that some of
his best recent dance pieces are taken from his
operettas. Equally unfounded were the fears that
after devoting more than a quarter of a century to
the composition of dance music, Strauss would be
unable to win distinction as a dramatic writer. In
his first operettas, it is true, the libretto was little
more than a peg to hang on waltzes, polkas and
marches; but gradually he emancipated himself
more and more from the simple saltatorial style, un-
til, in "The Bat," the "Merry War" and subsequent
works, he created a new type of operetta, with
beautiful flowing, lyric melodies, and stirring dra-
matic ensembles. True, the " Waltz King " is never
quite able to disguise his character, but in this very
fact lie the originality and unique charm of the
Strauss operetta. It is a new style of stage play —
the Austrian operetta, a new " school " of comic
opera ; and in creating this, Strauss placed himself
far above his father and his brothers. Millcecker
would not have been possible but for Strauss, and
Supp^ did not write his best works till after Strauss
had shown the way.

496

FAMOUS COMPOSERS

That J. Strauss, the younger, wrote four hundred
and forty pieces of dance music has already been
stated. The complete list of his operettas is as fol-
lows: Indigo, 187 1 ; The Carnivalin Rome, 1873 ;
The Bat, 1874; Cagliosiro, 1875 ; Prime Metku-
salem, 1877; Blind Man's Buff, 1878; The Queen's
La^e Handkenhief, 1880; The Merry War, 1881;
A Night in Venice, 1883 ; The Gypsy Baron, 1885 ;
Simplicius, 1887. In my opinion there is in these
operettas more good music than in the o])erettas of
any other composer, but Strauss has been less
fortunate in his librettisls than OfTenbach and Sul-
livan, and this has not only diminished the present
popularity of his works in some countries, but will
prevent them from enjoying as long a life as their
truly prodigal wealth of new and charming melodies
would otherwise entitle them to. Moreover, few
things are so short-lived as operettas, and it is

therefore probable that, to the next generation,
Strauss will be chiefly known as the " Waltz King,"
after all, partly by the pieces which he wrote di-
rectly for the dance hall, and partly by those
which are culled from his dramatic works. He
is still at work, with greater ambition than ever, for his
latest opus is a grand opera, Riiler Pdsmdn, which
had its first performance at the Imperial Ojiera at
Vienna on January i, 1892. It is modelled partly
on Wagner's Meisterstnger, and the Neiie Zeitsekri/t
fiir Miisik finds in it the true type of the comic
opera of the future, " combining the esprila.nA grace
of French o))dra comique with German depth of
sentiment, and that spontaneous melodiousness
which is an .Austrian specialty — that flow of fresh
and natural melody which we find in Schubert arid
Haydn." Dr. Hanslick recommends the score as
a model to students of instni mentation.

^f^^^^-.^t^v-y /. ' *'^^<S-:>e_— ,

r) LEADING ORCHESTRA \t